BILL NUMBER: S7452

SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to authorizing United
States citizens currently residing outside the United States whose last
residence in the United States was in the state of New York to vote in
certain federal elections

 
PURPOSE OF BILL:

This bill would allow voters whose previous residence was in New York
State to vote via absentee ballot in a Federal Election if they reside
in a United States Territory or United States Possession.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 11-200 of the election law by removing the
provision that prohibited a citizen who otherwise qualified to vote via
absentee ballot from voting if they reside in a United States Territory
or Possession.
              

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

United States citizens who are former residents of New York may vote in
New York as special federal voters via absentee ballot for President,
Vice President, for their Congressperson or Senator if they reside
outside of the United States. However, the existing statute contains a
specific exception if the voter resides in a United States "territory"
or "possession", such as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, or
American Samoa. So, a former eligible New York voter who moves to France
can vote via New York absentee ballot in certain federal elections,
whereas a former eligible New York voter who moves, for example, to
Puerto Rico cannot. This has led to the disenfranchisement of countless
New Yorkers - who would otherwise qualify to vote by absentee ballot -
as they are prevented from exercising their constitutionally protected
right to vote in a federal election.

This issue is particularly important in New York because New York State
has the second-largest Puerto Rican population in the United States.
Puerto Ricans have the right to establish residency in New York (or any
other state) and obtain the right to vote. If they were to move back to
Puerto Rico though, they lose this right to vote in federal elections.

In Romeu v. Cohen, 265 F. 3d 118 (2nd Circuit 2001), Judge Pierre N.
Leval noted that Congress would have the right to "require states to
accept the votes of certain U.S. citizens who are not residents of the
State but reside outside the United States or in other states,(and) I
can see no reason why Congress might not also with respect to the presi-
dential election require the State to accept the presidential votes of
certain U.S. citizens who are nonresidents of the State residing in the
U.S. territories. . . . Indeed, even without a congressional mandate, a
State would no doubt have the power to pass statutes . . . allowing its
former residents now residing in a territory to participate in its
federal elections."  Romeu v. Cohen, 265 F.3d 118, 129 (2001). (Emphasis
added.) This legislation does precisely what Judge Leval suggested and
enfranchises New Yorkers who reside outside of New York that otherwise
qualify for an absentee ballot to exercise their right to vote in a
federal election, even if they reside in a U.S. "territory" or
"possession".

 
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:

This bill enfranchises likely thousands of people who lived in New York,
were eligible to vote, and only lost that right by moving to, for exam-
ple, Puerto Rico where they would not otherwise be able to vote in
federal elections. This bill would address a significant racial and
social inequity by which a former NYer who moves to France or England
could still vote, while one who moves to Puerto Rico could not.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act will take effect immediately.