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Assembly Bill A1606

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing compulsory voting

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Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

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2025-A1606 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Election Law
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §5-100, add §8-310, El L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
A5497

2025-A1606 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes compulsory voting, with some exceptions, for general elections held in this state.

2025-A1606 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1606
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. GLICK -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to establishing compulsory
   voting in this state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Section  5-100 of the election law, as amended by chapter
 373 of the laws of 1978, is amended to read as follows:
   § 5-100. Registration; required.  1. A person shall not be entitled to
 vote in any election held pursuant to  this  chapter  unless  [he]  SUCH
 PERSON  shall  be  registered, and if required, enrolled pursuant to the
 provisions of this article unless [he] SUCH PERSON shall present a court
 order directing that [he] SUCH PERSON  be  permitted  to  vote  at  such
 election.
   2. ALL PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE OR WHO WILL BE ELIGIBLE BY THE DATE OF
 A GENERAL ELECTION, NOT INCLUDING A PRIMARY OR SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTION,
 SHALL  REGISTER  BEFORE  THE  DATE SPECIFIED UNDER SECTION 5-210 OF THIS
 ARTICLE.
   3. Where a specific provision of law relating to the  registration  of
 voters  exists  in  any  other  statute,  which is inconsistent with the
 provisions  of  this  article,  such  provision  shall  apply  and   the
 provisions of this article not inconsistent therewith shall apply.
   § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 8-310 to read
 as follows:
   §  8-310.  VOTING; REQUIRED. 1. ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS SHALL VOTE AT EACH
 ELECTION IN PERSON OR BY ABSENTEE  BALLOT;  PROVIDED  HOWEVER  THAT  THE
 REQUIREMENT  TO  VOTE  SHALL  NOT  APPLY  TO  A  PRIMARY OR SCHOOL BOARD
 ELECTION.
   2. THE SOLE DUTY IMPOSED UNDER THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  TO  RETURN  A
 BALLOT. NO PERSON SHALL BE COMPELLED TO CAST A VALID VOTE.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04202-01-5
 A. 1606                             2

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