Senate Bill S4210

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Provides that absentee ballots for all elections shall be made available in Braille, upon request of a blind or visually impaired voter

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee


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

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2021-S4210 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Add §7-107, El L; add §2022-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2015-2016: S5085
2017-2018: S4786, S8775
2019-2020: S3447

2021-S4210 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides that absentee ballots for all elections shall be made available in Braille and large print, upon request of a blind or visually impaired voter no less than 30 days prior to each election day.

2021-S4210 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S4210 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4210
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 2, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  STAVISKY, GAUGHRAN, LIU -- read twice and ordered
   printed, and  when  printed  to  be  committed  to  the  Committee  on
   Elections
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the election law and the education law, in relation to
   making absentee ballots available in Braille and large-print

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 7-107
 to read as follows:
   § 7-107. ABSENTEE BALLOTS IN BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT TO BE MADE AVAIL-
 ABLE.  1. ABSENTEE BALLOTS PRINTED IN BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT  SHALL  BE
 MADE  AVAILABLE UPON THE REQUEST OF ANY REGISTERED VOTER WHO IS BLIND OR
 VISUALLY IMPAIRED.  PERSONS WISHING TO RECEIVE  BRAILLE  OR  LARGE-PRINT
 ABSENTEE  BALLOTS  MUST GIVE NOTICE THEREOF TO THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS NO
 LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS PRIOR TO EACH ELECTION DAY TO ENABLE THE BOARD  TO
 PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE SUCH BALLOTS.
   2.  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PROMULGATE RULES FOR THE PREPA-
 RATION, DISTRIBUTION, CASTING, AND CANVASS OF  BRAILLE  AND  LARGE-PRINT
 ABSENTEE  BALLOTS.    THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL DEVELOP THE
 INITIAL FORMAT FOR BOTH BRAILLE AND LARGE-PRINT BALLOTS IN  CONSULTATION
 WITH  AT  LEAST THREE NEW YORK STATE ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERTISE IN THE
 FIELD OF ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SUCH OTHER  APPROPRI-
 ATE  PERSONS,  GROUPS,  ENTITIES  OR ORGANIZATIONS AS THE STATE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS SHALL DETERMINE. FOR THE PURPOSE OF  THIS  SECTION,  "BRAILLE"
 REFERS  TO GRADE TWO BRAILLE AND "LARGE-PRINT" REFERS TO A FONT OF EIGH-
 TEEN POINT OR LARGER.  UPON THE PRINTING OF A BRAILLE BALLOT, THE  BOARD
 OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  REQUIRE  SUCH  BRAILLE BALLOT TO BE PROOFREAD BY A
 QUALIFIED BRAILLE READER.  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL  ESTABLISH
 THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR A BRAILLE BALLOT PROOFREADER IN CONSULTA-
 TION  WITH AT LEAST THREE NEW YORK STATE ORGANIZATIONS WITH EXPERTISE IN
 THE FIELD OF ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SUCH OTHER APPRO-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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