senate Bill S253A

Signed By Governor
2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to ballots where the express intent of the voter is unambiguous

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor Calendar
    • Passed Senate
    • Passed Assembly
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed by Governor

Your Voice

do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

view actions (27)
Assembly Actions - Lowercase
Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 24, 2022 signed chap.228
Jun 22, 2022 delivered to governor
May 04, 2022 returned to senate
passed assembly
ordered to third reading cal.420
substituted for a1144a
May 02, 2022 referred to election law
returned to assembly
repassed senate
Apr 25, 2022 amended on third reading 253a
Apr 25, 2022 vote reconsidered - restored to third reading
returned to senate
recalled from assembly
Jan 10, 2022 referred to election law
delivered to assembly
passed senate
ordered to third reading cal.1
reported and committed to rules
Jan 05, 2022 referred to elections
returned to senate
died in assembly
Jan 11, 2021 referred to election law
delivered to assembly
passed senate
ordered to third reading cal.1
reported and committed to rules
Jan 06, 2021 referred to elections

Votes

view votes

May 2, 2022 - floor Vote

S253A
42
20
floor
42
Aye
20
Nay
0
Absent
1
Excused
0
Abstained
show floor vote details

Floor Vote: May 2, 2022

aye (42)
nay (20)
excused (1)

Jan 18, 2022 - Rules committee Vote

S253
13
7
committee
13
Aye
7
Nay
0
Aye with Reservations
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show committee vote details

Committee Vote: Jan 18, 2022

aye (13)
nay (7)

Jan 10, 2022 - floor Vote

S253
43
20
floor
43
Aye
20
Nay
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show floor vote details

Floor Vote: Jan 10, 2022

aye (43)
nay (20)

Jan 10, 2022 - Elections committee Vote

S253
5
2
committee
5
Aye
2
Nay
0
Aye with Reservations
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show committee vote details

Committee Vote: Jan 10, 2022

aye (5)
nay (2)

Jan 10, 2022 - Rules committee Vote

S253
13
7
committee
13
Aye
7
Nay
0
Aye with Reservations
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show committee vote details

Committee Vote: Jan 10, 2022

aye (13)
nay (7)

Jan 11, 2021 - floor Vote

S253
43
20
floor
43
Aye
20
Nay
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show floor vote details

Floor Vote: Jan 11, 2021

aye (43)
nay (20)

Jan 11, 2021 - Elections committee Vote

S253
5
2
committee
5
Aye
2
Nay
0
Aye with Reservations
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show committee vote details

Committee Vote: Jan 11, 2021

aye (5)
nay (2)

Jan 11, 2021 - Rules committee Vote

S253
14
6
committee
14
Aye
6
Nay
1
Aye with Reservations
0
Absent
0
Excused
0
Abstained
show committee vote details

Committee Vote: Jan 11, 2021

aye (14)
nay (6)
aye wr (1)

Bill Amendments

Original
A (Active)
Original
A (Active)

Co-Sponsors

view additional co-sponsors

S253 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1144
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-410, El L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:
S8368, A10744

S253 - Summary

Relates to ballots where the express intent of the voter is unambiguous.

S253 - Sponsor Memo

S253 - Bill Text download pdf 

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    253
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. MYRIE, COMRIE, GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN, LIU, MAY -- read
   twice and ordered printed, and when printed to  be  committed  to  the
   Committee on Elections
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  election  law, in relation to ballots where the
   express intent of the voter is unambiguous

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  8-410 of the election law, as amended by chapter
 352 of the laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows:
   § 8-410. Absentee voting; method of. The absentee voter shall mark  an
 absentee  ballot  as  provided for paper ballots or ballots prepared for
 counting by ballot counting machines. He OR SHE shall make  no  mark  or
 writing  whatsoever  upon  the  ballot,  except as above prescribed, and
 shall see that it bears no such mark or writing. He OR SHE shall make no
 mark or writing whatsoever on the outside of the ballot. IN CASES  WHERE
 THE EXPRESS INTENT OF THE VOTER IS UNAMBIGUOUS, ANY STRAY MARKS OR WRIT-
 ING  SHALL NOT BE A BASIS FOR VOIDING A BALLOT. After marking the ballot
 or ballots he OR SHE shall fold each such ballot and enclose them in the
 envelope and seal the envelope. He OR SHE shall then take and  subscribe
 the  oath on the envelope, with blanks properly filled in. The envelope,
 containing the ballot or ballots, shall then be mailed or  delivered  to
 the board of elections of the county or city of his OR HER residence.
   §  2.  Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 9-209 of the election
 law is amended by adding three new subparagraphs (vii), (viii) and  (ix)
 to read as follows:
   (VII)  AN  ABSENTEE BALLOT MAY ONLY BE VOIDED IF THE EXPRESS INTENT OF
 THE VOTER IS NOT CLEAR AND HE OR SHE  HAS  NOT  OTHERWISE  SUBSTANTIALLY
 COMPLIED WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (VIII)  AN ABSENTEE BALLOT SHALL NOT BE VOIDED WHERE THE VOTER DID NOT
 DATE THE BALLOT ENVELOPE OR THE DATE ON THE BALLOT IS AFTER THE ELECTION
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

Co-Sponsors

view additional co-sponsors

S253A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A1144
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-410, El L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:
S8368, A10744

S253A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to ballots where the express intent of the voter is unambiguous.

S253A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S253A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  253--A
     Cal. No. 1
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MYRIE,  BAILEY,  BIAGGI,  BRESLIN, BROUK, COMRIE,
   COONEY, GAUGHRAN, GOUNARDES, HINCHEY, HOYLMAN, JACKSON, KAPLAN, KENNE-
   DY, LIU, MANNION, MAY, PARKER, REICHLIN-MELNICK, SANDERS,  SERRANO  --
   read  twice  and  ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
   the  Committee  on  Elections  --  recommitted  to  the  Committee  on
   Elections in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favora-
   bly  from  said  committee  and committed to the Committee on Rules --
   reported favorably from said committee, ordered to  a  third  reading,
   passed  by Senate and delivered to the Assembly, recalled, vote recon-
   sidered, restored to third reading,  amended  and  ordered  reprinted,
   retaining its place in the order of third reading
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  election  law, in relation to ballots where the
   express intent of the voter is unambiguous
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  8-410 of the election law, as amended by chapter
 352 of the laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows:
   § 8-410. Absentee voting; method of. The absentee voter shall mark  an
 absentee  ballot  as  provided for paper ballots or ballots prepared for
 counting by ballot counting machines. He OR SHE shall make  no  mark  or
 writing  whatsoever  upon  the  ballot,  except as above prescribed, and
 shall see that it bears no such mark or writing. He OR SHE shall make no
 mark or writing whatsoever on the outside of the ballot. IN CASES  WHERE
 THE EXPRESS INTENT OF THE VOTER IS UNAMBIGUOUS, ANY STRAY MARKS OR WRIT-
 ING  SHALL NOT BE A BASIS FOR VOIDING A BALLOT. After marking the ballot
 or ballots he OR SHE shall fold each such ballot and enclose them in the
 envelope and seal the envelope. He OR SHE shall then take and  subscribe
 the  oath on the envelope, with blanks properly filled in. The envelope,
 containing the ballot or ballots, shall then be mailed or  delivered  to
 the board of elections of the county or city of his OR HER residence.
   §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately  and shall apply to
 elections occurring on or after such effective date.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.