The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1705--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Elections  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  election  law, in relation to authorizing party
   designations and nominations for elections to be made via video  tele-
   conference  or  web  conference;  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.  Section 15-108 of the election law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 11 to read as follows:
   11. IN ADDITION TO ANY MANNER OF NOMINATION OR DESIGNATION UNDER  THIS
 SECTION, ALL PARTY DESIGNATIONS AND NOMINATIONS PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE
 MAY  ALSO BE MADE VIA AUDIO TELECONFERENCE OR WEB CONFERENCE UPON NOTICE
 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE RESPECTIVE COMMITTEE BY MAIL, EMAIL, TEXT OR TELE-
 PHONE CALL AT LEAST SEVENTY-TWO HOURS BEFORE SUCH MEETING.  SUCH  NOTICE
 MUST  INCLUDE  INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPANTS ON HOW TO ACCESS THE MEETING
 BY SUCH VIDEO OR TELECONFERENCE.  NOMINATIONS OR  DESIGNATIONS  PURSUANT
 TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION  SHALL  ALSO  BE  PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND OTHERWISE
 NOTICED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH REQUIREMENTS IN THIS SECTION.    CERTIF-
 ICATES  OF  DESIGNATION  OR  NOMINATION,  MINUTES, AUTHORIZATIONS AND/OR
 ACCEPTANCES MAY BE EXECUTED IN SEPARATE ACTS BY THE SIGNATORIES  THERETO
 AND  WHERE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OR OATHS ARE REQUIRED, THEY MAY BE PERFORMED
 OR ADMINISTERED REMOTELY AND PURSUANT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER 202.7  OF  2020
 ALLOWING NOTARIZATIONS TO BE PERFORMED USING COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY.
   §  2.  Section  6-202  of  the election law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. IN ADDITION TO ANY MANNER OF NOMINATION OR DESIGNATION  UNDER  THIS
 SECTION,  ALL  PARTY DESIGNATIONS AND NOMINATIONS PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE
 MAY ALSO BE MADE VIA AUDIO TELECONFERENCE OR WEB CONFERENCE UPON  NOTICE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD08111-06-1

 S. 1705--A                          2
 
 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE RESPECTIVE COMMITTEE BY MAIL, EMAIL, TEXT OR TELE-
 PHONE  CALL AT LEAST SEVENTY-TWO HOURS BEFORE SUCH MEETING.  SUCH NOTICE
 MUST INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPANTS ON HOW TO ACCESS  THE  MEETING
 BY  SUCH  VIDEO OR TELECONFERENCE.  NOMINATIONS OR DESIGNATIONS PURSUANT
 TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL  ALSO  BE  PUBLISHED,  POSTED,  AND  OTHERWISE
 NOTICED  IN  ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH REQUIREMENTS IN THIS SECTION.  CERTIF-
 ICATES OF DESIGNATION  OR  NOMINATION,  MINUTES,  AUTHORIZATIONS  AND/OR
 ACCEPTANCES MAY  BE  EXECUTED  IN SEPARATE ACTS BY THE SIGNATORIES THER-
 ETO  AND  WHERE  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  OR  OATHS  ARE  REQUIRED, THEY MAY BE
 PERFORMED OR  ADMINISTERED   REMOTELY AND PURSUANT  TO  EXECUTIVE  ORDER
 202.7 OF 2020 ALLOWING NOTARIZATIONS TO BE PERFORMED USING COMMUNICATION
 TECHNOLOGY.
   § 3. Section 6-100 of the election law is amended to read as follows:
   §  6-100.  Nominations  and designations; generally. 1. Nomination and
 designation of candidates for election to public office or  party  posi-
 tion are governed by this article.
   2.  ALL PARTY  DESIGNATIONS  AND  NOMINATIONS,  EXCEPT  FOR  A PRIMARY
 ELECTION,  MAY  BE  MADE AT A MEETING HELD IN WHOLE OR IN PART  VIA  WEB
 CONFERENCE  OR  AUDIO  TELECONFERENCE  UPON  AT  LEAST SEVENTY-TWO HOURS
 NOTICE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE RESPECTIVE COMMITTEE BY MAIL,  EMAIL,  TEXT
 OR TELEPHONE CALL. SUCH NOTICE MUST INCLUDE INSTRUCTIONS TO PARTICIPANTS
 ON  HOW  TO ACCESS THE MEETING BY SUCH VIDEO OR TELECONFERENCE.  CERTIF-
 ICATES OF DESIGNATION  OR  NOMINATION,  MINUTES,  AUTHORIZATIONS  AND/OR
 ACCEPTANCES MAY  BE EXECUTED  IN SEPARATE ACTS BY THE SIGNATORIES THERE-
 TO  AND  WHERE  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  OR  OATHS  ARE  REQUIRED,  THEY MAY BE
 PERFORMED OR   ADMINISTERED REMOTELY AND  PURSUANT  TO  EXECUTIVE  ORDER
 202.7  ALLOWING  NOTARIZATIONS TO BE PERFORMED USING COMMUNICATION TECH-
 NOLOGY.
   3. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISIONS OF LAW OR A  PARTY'S  RULES  TO  THE
 CONTRARY,  PROXY  VOTING  AT  ANY  PARTY  CAUCUS, PARTY MEETING OR PARTY
 CONVENTION HELD PURSUANT TO THIS CHAPTER HELD IN THE YEAR  TWO  THOUSAND
 TWENTY-ONE SHALL BE PERMITTED. ANY PERSON ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND AND VOTE AT
 SUCH  A  MEETING MAY HOLD UP TO TEN PROXIES. A PROXY STATEMENT MAY BE IN
 THE FORM PRESCRIBED BY THE PARTY'S RULE OR AS ACCEPTED IN  THE  PAST  BY
 THE  PARTY  ENTITY  OR  MAY BE SUBSTANTIALLY AS FOLLOWS: "I, A MEMBER OR
 ELIGIBLE VOTER OF (STATE NAME OF PARTY CAUCUS, PARTY  MEETING  OR  PARTY
 CONVENTION),  DO  HEREBY  GIVE  MY PROXY AUTHORIZATION TO (STATE NAME OF
 PROXY HOLDER) WHO SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO VOTE IN MY STEAD AT THE MEETING
 TO BE HELD ON (DATE) AND ANY ADJOURNED DATE THEREOF." ANY PROXY  GRANTED
 HEREUNDER  SHALL  BE REVOCABLE IN A WRITING PROVIDED TO THE SECRETARY OR
 CHAIR OF THE PARTY ENTITY OR BY THE ATTENDANCE OF THE PROXY  GRANTOR  AT
 THE MEETING.
   §  4.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed December 31, 2021.