S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
985
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 11, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. STECK -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to electronic correspond-
ence with regard to determinations on objections to designating
petitions, independent nominating petitions, certificates of nomi-
nation or ballot access documents
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivisions 4 and 5 of section 6-154 of the election law,
subdivision 4 as added and subdivision 5 as amended by a chapter of the
laws of 2022 amending the election law relating to specification of
objections to designating petitions, independent nominating petitions,
certificates of nomination or ballot access documents, as proposed in
legislative bills numbers S. 4413 and A. 4261, are amended and a new
subdivision 7 is added to read as follows:
4. (a) Such officer or board shall give notice by overnight mail to
the objector and the candidate named in such petition or certificate of
the date or dates on which such officer or board shall consider the
specifications filed, and board findings, the result of and research of
the specifications, and shall make a determination as to the sufficiency
of such petition or certificate [and shall provide the objector and
candidate or their agent or agents an opportunity to be heard as to the
validity of each specific objection]. Copies of the board's research of
specifications shall accompany such notice. SUCH NOTICE MAY BE GIVEN BY
ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE IN LIEU OF OVERNIGHT MAIL WITH THE CONSENT OF
THE OBJECTOR OR THE CANDIDATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF
THIS SECTION. SUCH OFFICER OR BOARD SHALL PROVIDE THE OBJECTOR AND
CANDIDATE OR THEIR AGENT OR AGENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD AS TO THE
VALIDITY OF EACH SPECIFIC OBJECTION. Such opportunity may be by written
submission or oral presentation in the discretion of such officer or
board. Such officer or board shall not deny the objector or the candi-
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04006-01-3
A. 985 2
date or their agent or agents an opportunity to be present when the
determination as to validity is made.
(b) For objections and specifications made to ballot access documents
filed with the state board of elections, the provisions of paragraph (a)
of this subdivision shall apply. However, the opportunity to be heard as
to the validity or invalidity of such specifications shall be provided
in a hearing which precedes any meeting of the state board's commission-
ers at which determinations will be rendered.
5. When any determination is made that a certificate or petition is
sufficient or insufficient, such officer or board shall give notice of
the determination forthwith by mail to each candidate named in the peti-
tion or certificate, and, if the determination is made upon specified
objections, the objector shall be notified[; provided that any such].
SUCH NOTICE MAY BE GIVEN BY ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE IN LIEU OF MAIL
WITH THE CONSENT OF THE CANDIDATE OR THE OBJECTOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF THIS SECTION. SUCH candidate or objector may desig-
nate an attorney or agent to receive any such notice and/or determi-
nation on his or her behalf. Any such designation shall be in writing
and include the name, address, email and telephone number of any such
attorney or agent, and any such attorney and/or agent shall be eligible
to represent any such candidate or objector in any proceeding relating
to the specifications.
7. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A CANDIDATE OR OBJECTOR SHALL BE
DEEMED TO HAVE CONSENTED TO ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE IF, HAVING BEEN
ADVISED CONSPICUOUSLY THAT ENROLLMENT OR REGISTRATION IS VOLUNTARY AND
THAT THEY MAY CONTINUE TO RECEIVE NOTICES BY MAIL AS PROVIDED IN THIS
SECTION, THEY INSTEAD AFFIRMATIVELY CHOOSE TO RECEIVE SUCH NOTICES BY
ELECTRONIC CORRESPONDENCE ONLY.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same
manner as a chapter of the laws of 2022 amending the election law relat-
ing to specification of objections to designating petitions, independent
nominating petitions, certificates of nomination or ballot access docu-
ments, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4413 and A. 4261,
takes effect.