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Assembly Bill A11642

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Prohibits unlawful seizure of ballots

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2025-A11642 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Election Law
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Add §17-153, El L

2025-A11642 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits unlawful seizure of ballots; provides that a violation is a class E felony.

2025-A11642 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11642
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               July 29, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Steck) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation  to  prohibiting  unlawful
   seizure of ballots
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section  17-153
 to read as follows:
   §  17-153.  UNLAWFUL  SEIZURE  OF BALLOTS. 1. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION, THE TERM "LAWFULLY CAST BALLOT" SHALL MEAN ANY FORM  OF  BALLOT
 THAT  HAS  BEEN  MARKED  BY AN ELIGIBLE VOTER AND DEPOSITED OR SUBMITTED
 THROUGH A LEGALLY ACCEPTED MECHANISM.
   2. ANY PERSON OR PERSONS WHO HAS ENGAGED IN THE FOLLOWING  CONDUCT  IS
 GUILTY  OF  UNLAWFULLY SEIZING A BALLOT: SEIZURE, CONFISCATION, REMOVAL,
 OR TAKING POSSESSION OF ONE OR MORE LAWFULLY CAST BALLOTS.
   3. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO:
   (A) ANY PERSON, PERSONS, OR ENTITIES OPERATING WITH  THE  APPROVAL  OF
 BOTH COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS; OR
   (B)  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  OFFICERS  ACTING  PURSUANT TO A LAWFULLY ISSUED
 COURT ORDER.
   4. ANY PERSON FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE GUILTY OF  A
 CLASS E FELONY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16191-01-6

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