NY State Senate Bill 2021-S506

Archive: Last Bill Status - Stricken

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2021	recommit, enacting clause stricken referred to elections

co-Sponsors

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Add §8-414, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S5416
2017-2018: S5184
2019-2020: S2768

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the boards of elections to provide a secure website or web portal through which voters can track their absentee application or absentee ballot.

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S506

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to absentee ballot track-
ing

 
PURPOSE:

To require the State Board of Elections to provide a secure website
through which all New Yorkers can clearly and transparently track their
absentee ballot every step of the process from the moment the original
request is received, approved, mailed or delivered to the voter, when
the Board receives a completed ballot back and the actual counting of
the vote.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends election law by adding a new section 8-414 relating to
the State Board of Elections setting up and maintaining a robust and

meaningful absentee ballot tracking website and the required information
to be available through that website.

Section 2 allows the State Board of Elections to request necessary data
from all Counties and the NYC Board of Elections to carry out the
mission of this bill.

Section 3 provides the effective date 60 days and allows the State Board
to implement necessary rules and regulations within an immediate time-
frame.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The very means and nature of voting is rapidly changing in New York and
across the nation. Absentee, Early and Full Fledged Vote By Mail are
becoming the predominate norm, not the exception. As such, it is makes
total sense that the State Board Of Elections should maintain a dynamic,
transparent, and user-friendly website where voters may track their
ballot every step of the way from the moment the original request is
received, approved, mailed or delivered to the voter, when the Board
receives a completed ballot back and the actual counting of the vote.
Our democracy demands this important level of accountability and
certainty that the franchise is executed properly.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18: S.5184 Referred to Elections
2019-20: S.2768/A 0724 (Dinowitz) / Referred to Elections

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None Noted.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 60 days after it becomes law.

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    506
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, BIAGGI, LIU -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN  ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee ballot track-
   ing

   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 8-414
 to read as follows:
   § 8-414. ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS  SHALL
 ESTABLISH  A  SECURE  WEBSITE OR WEB PORTAL THROUGH WHICH ANY REGISTERED
 VOTER IN THE STATE WHO HAS SUBMITTED  AN  APPLICATION  FOR  AN  ABSENTEE
 BALLOT,  OR WHO OTHERWISE HAS A RIGHT TO RECEIVE AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, FOR
 AN UPCOMING ELECTION PURSUANT TO  THIS  CHAPTER  MAY  VIEW  THE  CURRENT
 STATUS  OF  THEIR  ABSENTEE APPLICATION OR ABSENTEE BALLOT. SUCH WEBSITE
 SHALL NOT REQUIRE USERS TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT. SUCH WEBSITE  SHALL  INDI-
 CATE FOR EACH SUCH VOTER WHETHER THE VOTER'S BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS:
   1.  RECEIVED  SUCH VOTER'S REQUEST FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, IF APPLICA-
 BLE;
   2. APPROVED OR REJECTED SUCH REQUEST, IF APPLICABLE, AND, IF REJECTED,
 A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR REJECTION;
   3. MAILED OR DELIVERED AN ABSENTEE  BALLOT  TO  SUCH  VOTER  FOR  SUCH
 UPCOMING ELECTION;
   4.  RECEIVED  SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR SUCH UPCOMING
 ELECTION; AND
   5. COUNTED OR REJECTED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR SUCH
 UPCOMING ELECTION, AND, IF REJECTED, A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR
 REJECTION.
   § 2. The state board of elections is authorized to request  applicable
 data  from each county board of elections and the New York city board of
 elections in order to provide tracking information required  in  section
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06981-01-1

 S. 506                              2
 
 8-414 of the election law, as added by section one of this act as timely
 and accurately as possible.
   §  3.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
 have become a law. Effective immediately, the state board  of  elections
 shall  be authorized to implement necessary rules and regulations and to
 take steps required to implement this act.

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Senate Bill S506

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Stricken

co-Sponsors

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S506

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Sponsored By

Leroy Comrie

Archive: Last Bill Status - Stricken

co-Sponsors

Alessandra Biaggi

John C. Liu

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S506 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments