NY State Senate Bill S1632

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (9)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to elections returned to senate died in assembly
Jan 26, 2021	referred to election law delivered to assembly passed senate
Jan 25, 2021	ordered to third reading cal.134 committee discharged and committed to rules
Jan 14, 2021	referred to elections

Votes

Co-Sponsors

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§15-120 & 15-122, El L

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Allows a voter to request an absentee ballot where such person is concerned of contracting or spreading a disease that may cause illness to the voter or to other members of the public.

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 
BILL NUMBER: S1632

SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting at
village elections; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon
expiration thereof

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To allow voters who are concerned about voting in-person due to an
epidemic or disease outbreak to request an absentee ballot for village
elections.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Sections 1 and 2 amend the election law with respect to village
elections to include within the definition of "illness" instances where
a voter who is unable to appear personally at the polling place of the
election district in which they are a qualified voter because there is a

risk of contracting or spreading a disease-causing illness to the voter
or to other members of the public.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently, New York's law only allows an individual to request an absen-
tee ballot if they a) will be absent from their county of residence or
New York City on the day of the election, b) are unable to appear at the
polling place due to illness, physical disability, or care-taking
responsibilities for someone who is ill or disabled, c) are a resident
or patient at a veteran health administration hospital, or d) are
currently being held in jail. These restrictive criteria do not accommo-
date people who are concerned about the risk voting in-person would pose
to their own or other's health.

Individuals, especially those who are high-risk, should be given the
tools to take extra precautions to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the CDC, older people and people with existing health
conditions, like heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes, are at great-
er risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19. High-risk individ-
uals who are trying to limit their potential exposure or other's expo-
sure to the virus should not have to decide between protecting their
health or exercising their civic duty. Similarly, individuals who are
preventively quarantined should still be able to participate in our
elections.

By redefining "illness," this piece of legislation will allow New York-
ers to request an absentee ballot if they are unable to appear
personally at their polling place due to an epidemic or disease
outbreak. This will ensure that,all New Yorkers can feel comfortable
participating in New York's upcoming village elections.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed January 1, 2022.

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1632
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAYER  -- 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  absentee  voting  at
   village  elections;  and  providing  for the repeal of such provisions
   upon expiration thereof

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of section 15-120 of the election law, as
 amended by chapter 289 of the laws  of  2014,  is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  A qualified voter of a village may vote as an absentee voter under
 this section if during all the hours of voting on the day of  a  general
 or special village election he or she will be:
   (a) absent from the county of his or her residence; or
   (b)  unable to appear at the polling place because of illness or phys-
 ical disability, or duties related to the primary care of  one  or  more
 individuals  who  are  ill  or physically disabled, or because he or she
 will be or is a patient in a hospital, PROVIDED THAT,  FOR  PURPOSES  OF
 THIS  PARAGRAPH,  "ILLNESS"  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE  LIMITED  TO,
 INSTANCES WHERE A VOTER IS UNABLE TO APPEAR PERSONALLY  AT  THE  POLLING
 PLACE  OF  THE  ELECTION  DISTRICT  IN  WHICH THEY ARE A QUALIFIED VOTER
 BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF CONTRACTING OR SPREADING A DISEASE  THAT  MAY
 CAUSE ILLNESS TO THE VOTER OR TO OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC; or
   (c) an inmate or patient of a veteran's administration hospital; or
   (d)  absent  from  his  or  her  voting residence because he or she is
 detained in jail awaiting action by a grand jury or awaiting  trial,  or
 confined  in jail or prison after a conviction for an offense other than
 a felony, provided that he or she is qualified to vote in  the  election
 district of his or her residence.
   § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 15-122 of the election law is amended to
 read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD07925-01-1

 S. 1632                             2
 
   1.  A  qualified  elector  of a village, who, on the occurrence of any
 general or special village election, may be within the county of his  OR
 HER  residence  but  unable to appear personally at the polling place in
 the village of his OR HER residence because of illness,  physical  disa-
 bility  or  confinement  either at home or in a hospital or institution,
 other than a mental institution may vote as an absentee voter under this
 section, PROVIDED THAT, FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  "ILLNESS"
 SHALL  INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, INSTANCES WHERE A VOTER IS UNABLE
 TO APPEAR PERSONALLY AT THE POLLING PLACE OF THE  ELECTION  DISTRICT  IN
 WHICH  THEY ARE A QUALIFIED VOTER BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF CONTRACTING
 OR SPREADING A DISEASE THAT MAY CAUSE ILLNESS TO THE VOTER OR  TO  OTHER
 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed January 1, 2022.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S1632

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Your Voice

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Votes

Jan 26, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jan 26, 2021

Jan 25, 2021 - Rules committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: Jan 25, 2021

Co-Sponsors

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S1632

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Sponsored By

Shelley B. Mayer

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

Jan 26, 2021 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: Jan 26, 2021

Jan 25, 2021 - Rules committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: Jan 25, 2021

Co-Sponsors

James Gaughran

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Details

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Summary

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S1632 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments