NY State Senate Bill 2021-S4591A

Senate Bill S4591A

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to the accessibility of congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status Via A831 - Passed Senate

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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 25, 2022	returned to assembly passed senate 3rd reading cal.1317 substituted for s4591a
May 25, 2022	substituted by a831a
May 17, 2022	advanced to third reading
May 16, 2022	2nd report cal.
May 11, 2022	1st report cal.1317
Jan 05, 2022	referred to elections
May 07, 2021	print number 4591a
May 07, 2021	amend and recommit to elections
Feb 05, 2021	referred to elections

Votes

- May 25, 2022 - Floor Vote
  A831
  
  60
  
  Aye
  
  1
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  2
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: May 25, 2022
      
      aye (60)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Akshar
      
      Bailey
      
      Biaggi
      
      Borrello
      
      Boyle
      
      Brisport
      
      Brooks
      
      Cleare
      
      Comrie
      
      Cooney
      
      Felder
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gaughran
      
      Gianaris
      
      Gounardes
      
      Griffo
      
      Harckham
      
      Helming
      
      Hinchey
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jackson
      
      Jordan
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kaplan
      
      Kavanagh
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Liu
      
      Mannion
      
      Mattera
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Myrie
      
      O'Mara
      
      Oberacker
      
      Ortt
      
      Palumbo
      
      Parker
      
      Persaud
      
      Ramos
      
      Rath III
      
      Reichlin-Melnick
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Ryan
      
      Salazar
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Savino
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      Serino
      
      Serrano
      
      Skoufis
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stec
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Thomas
      
      Weik
      
      nay (1)
      
      Martucci
      
      excused (2)
      
      Breslin
      
      Brouk
  May 11, 2022 - Elections Committee Vote
  S4591A
  
  6
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Elections Committee Vote: May 11, 2022
      
      aye (6)
      
      Kavanagh
      
      May
      
      Mayer
      
      Myrie
      
      Rath III
      
      Ritchie
      
      excused (1)
      
      Brouk

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2021-S4591 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A831
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §4-102, El L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: A10330

2021-S4591 - Summary

Requires congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps be made available on applicable board of elections' websites and in a downloadable Shapefile format.

2021-S4591 - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S4591

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to the accessibility of
congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require boards of elections to publish election district maps in
Shapefile format on their website.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 4-102 of the election law by adding a new para-
graph to require that election district maps shall be posted on board of
elections' website and each board of elections shall make such maps
available in a downloadable Shapefile format.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Election districts and the process of drawing new boundaries has been an
arcane process for the vast majority of voters. Election district maps
are only accessible to the public by viewing hard copies at the clerk's
office. For many people, that is not feasible or practical because indi-
viduals must travel there in person and the maps are not in a user-
friendly format. The lack of transparency related to election district
maps leave voters unable to voice concerns about the way in which
election districts are created. As a result, many voters believe
election district boundaries are created through a manipulative process
that legislators utilize for their own political gain. However, granting
voters access to election district maps may allow for people to suggest
alternatives that are less partisan and pressure decision makers to draw
the districts more fairly in the first place.

This bill would require each board of elections to publish the appropri-
ate election district maps on their website. These maps would also be
made available in a Shapefile format, which enables members of the
public to download the map and utilize geographic information system
(GIS) software.

The redistricting process is an inherently geographic undertaking
because each year, the geographic distribution of a community changes as
people are born, retire, or relocate. If election district maps are
available in Shapefile format, they are compatible with GIS soft- ware
that enables people to see what effect boundary changes will have on a
community or population. Additionally, GIS software can utilize census
data or other datasets that allow users to measure compliance of specif-
ic redistricting principles like population size and diversity. There-
fore, the availability of election district maps iASHapefile format
would allow voters to review the demographics of districts and hold
legislators accountable when boundaries are unfairly drawn.

 
PRIOR. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.10330a of 2020, referred to election law FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:  None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S4591 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4591
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 5, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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  the  accessibility  of
   congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section  4-102  of  the  election  law  is
 amended by adding a new paragraph e to read as follows:
   E.  COPIES  OF  SUCH  MAPS  SHALL BE POSTED ON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS'
 WEBSITE. IN ADDITION, EACH BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  MAKE  SUCH  MAPS
 AVAILABLE IN A DOWNLOADABLE SHAPEFILE FORMAT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02083-01-1

2021-S4591A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A831
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §4-102, El L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: A10330

2021-S4591A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps be made available on applicable board of elections' websites and in a downloadable Shapefile format.

2021-S4591A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S4591A

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to the accessibility of
congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To require boards of elections to publish election district maps in
Shapefile format on their website.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 4-102 of the election law by adding a new para-
graph to require that election district maps shall be posted on board of
elections' website and each board of elections shall make such maps
available in a downloadable Shapefile format.

Section 2 provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Election districts and the process of drawing new boundaries has been an
arcane process for the vast majority of voters. Election district maps
are only accessible to the public by viewing hard copies at the clerk's
office. For many people, that is not feasible or practical because indi-
viduals must travel there in person and the maps are not in a user-
friendly format. The lack of transparency related to election district
maps leave voters unable to voice concerns about the way in which
election districts are created. As a result, many voters believe
election district boundaries are created through a manipulative process
that legislators utilize for their own political gain. However, granting
voters access to election district maps may allow for people to suggest
alternatives that are less partisan and pressure decision makers to draw
the districts more fairly in the first place.

This bill would require each board of elections to publish the appropri-
ate election district maps on their website. These maps would also be
made available in a Shapefile format, which enables members of the
public to download the map and utilize geographic information system
(GIS) software.

The redistricting process is an inherently geographic undertaking
because each year, the geographic distribution of a community changes as
people are born, retire, or relocate. If election district maps are
available in Shapefile format, they are compatible with GIS software
that enables people to see what effect boundary changes will have on a
community or population. Additionally, GIS software can utilize census
data or other datasets that allow users to measure compliance of specif-
ic redistricting principles like population size and diversity. There-
fore, the availability of election district maps in Shapefile format
would allow voters to review the demographics of districts and hold
legislators accountable when boundaries are unfairly drawn.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

A.10330a of 2020, referred to election law
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

2021-S4591A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4591--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 5, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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 the accessibility of
   congressional, senatorial, assembly and election district maps
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Subdivision  5  of  section  4-102 of the election law is
 amended by adding a new paragraph e to read as follows:
   E. COPIES OF SUCH MAPS SHALL BE POSTED  ON  THE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS'
 WEBSITE.  IN  ADDITION,  EACH  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL MAKE SUCH MAPS
 AVAILABLE IN A DOWNLOADABLE SHAPEFILE FORMAT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02083-03-1

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