Senate Bill S2543

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2543
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, MAY, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to notifying voters of the
   candidates and upcoming elections
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Article 8 of the election law is amended by  adding  a  new
 title 8 to read as follows:
                                TITLE VIII
                            VOTER NOTIFICATIONS
 SECTION 8-800. VOTING GUIDE.
         8-802. POSTCARDS.
         8-804. TELEVISION AND RADIO.
   § 8-800. VOTING GUIDE. 1. ANY CANDIDATE SEEKING NOMINATION OR ELECTION
 AT  THE  NEXT  GENERAL  AND  PRIMARY ELECTION TO ANY PUBLIC OFFICE, OR A
 DESIGNATED AGENT ACTING ON BEHALF OF SUCH CANDIDATE, MAY, AT  LEAST  SIX
 WEEKS  PRIOR TO THE GENERAL AND PRIMARY ELECTION, FILE WITH THE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS WITH WHICH NOMINATING AND DESIGNATING  PETITIONS  AND  CERTIF-
 ICATES FOR SUCH OFFICE ARE FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 6-144 OF THIS CHAP-
 TER  A  SWORN STATEMENT CONTAINING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION, SUCH AS THE
 CANDIDATE'S OCCUPATION, EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL  BACKGROUND,  PRIOR
 GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIENCE, AND ANY OTHER PERSONAL BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE
 THAT  THE CANDIDATE DEEMS RELEVANT TO THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN, AND ANSWERS
 TO ISSUE BASED QUESTIONS DRAFTED BY THE STATE BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  THAT
 ARE SPECIFIED TO EACH POSITION.
   2.  THE  STATE  BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL, BY REGULATION, ESTABLISH THE
 FORMAT AND LENGTH OF THE STATEMENT AUTHORIZED  UNDER  THIS  SECTION  AND
 SHALL  PROVIDE  TO  CANDIDATES  A  STANDARDIZED  FORM FOR PREPARING SUCH
 STATEMENT.
   3. WITHIN FIVE DAYS AFTER THE LAST DAY  FOR  FILING  STATEMENTS  UNDER
 THIS  SECTION,  ALL  LOCAL  BOARDS  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL FORWARD ALL SUCH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06777-01-5
              

 S. 2543                             2
 
 CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN ELECTRONIC FORM
 IN A MANNER TO BE PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
   4.  IN  THE EVENT THAT ANY CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES RECEIVED BY THE STATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS, FROM ANY LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IS NOT  IN  ELEC-
 TRONIC  FORM,  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL, WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER
 RECEIPT OF SUCH CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY, CONVERT SUCH CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY TO
 ELECTRONIC FORM.
   5. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL EMAIL, IF A  REGISTERED  VOTER'S
 EMAIL  IS AVAILABLE TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, TO EVERY REGISTERED
 VOTER IN THE STATE A VOTING GUIDE CONSISTING OF ALL BIOGRAPHICAL  INFOR-
 MATION  AND ANSWERS TO ISSUE BASED QUESTIONS, AS OUTLINED IN SUBDIVISION
 ONE OF THIS SECTION, RECEIVED FROM EACH CANDIDATE FOR WHOM THE  RECEIVER
 OF  THIS  MAILING CAN VOTE FOR IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION. THE BOARD SHALL
 ALSO MAIL AT LEAST ONE PHYSICAL COPY OF THE VOTING GUIDE TO EACH  HOUSE-
 HOLD  WITH A REGISTERED VOTER IN THE STATE. IN THE EVENT THE STATE BOARD
 OF ELECTIONS DETERMINES THAT DISTRIBUTION OF THE VOTING GUIDE  WOULD  BE
 MORE  EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL IF DONE BY THE LOCAL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS,
 THE STATE BOARD IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO INSTRUCT ALL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS
 TO DISTRIBUTE THE VOTING GUIDE TO AT LEAST ONE REGISTERED VOTER IN  EACH
 HOUSEHOLD.  SHOULD  THE STATE BOARD SO INSTRUCT THE BOARDS OF ELECTIONS,
 IT SHALL PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF VOTING GUIDES TO EACH  BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS AND SHALL PROMPTLY REIMBURSE EACH BOARD FOR THE ACTUAL COST OF
 POSTAGE  INCURRED  BY  SAID  BOARD  IN  DISTRIBUTING  THE  VOTING GUIDES
 PROVIDED THAT SAID  BOARD  UTILIZE  THE  LOWEST  FEASIBLE  POSTAGE  RATE
 CHARGED  BY  THE  UNITED  STATES POSTAL SERVICE. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE
 VOTING GUIDES TO REGISTERED VOTERS OR HOUSEHOLDS SHALL BE MADE AT  LEAST
 THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION TO WHICH THEY PERTAIN.
   6.  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF ELECTIONS SHALL MAINTAIN A WEBSITE WHERE ALL
 VOTER GUIDE INFORMATION IS MAINTAINED, UPDATED  AND  ACCESSIBLE  TO  THE
 GENERAL PUBLIC.
   §  8-802.  POSTCARDS. FOR EACH PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION, THE STATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL EMAIL, IF A REGISTERED VOTER'S EMAIL IS  AVAIL-
 ABLE TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, A POSTCARD WHICH CONTAINS INFORMA-
 TION  FOR  THE UPCOMING ELECTION THAT CONTAINS THE DATE OF THE ELECTION.
 THE BOARD SHALL ALSO MAIL AT LEAST TWO PHYSICAL POSTCARDS TO EACH HOUSE-
 HOLD WITH A REGISTERED VOTER IN THE STATE.  THE  BOARD  SHALL  SEND  THE
 POSTCARDS TWICE BEFORE THE ELECTION WITH THE FIRST MAILING TO BE MADE NO
 EARLIER  THAN  FIFTEEN  DAYS  AND  NO  LATER  THAN TEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE
 ELECTION; AND WITH THE SECOND MAILING TO BE MADE NO EARLIER  THAN  SEVEN
 DAYS AND NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
   §  8-804.  TELEVISION  AND RADIO. FOR TEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS BEFORE EACH
 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION, ALL MAJOR TELEVISION  AND  RADIO  STATIONS
 USING  PUBLIC  AIRWAVES  OR DOING BUSINESS WITHIN THE STATE SHALL INFORM
 THEIR AUDIENCE AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EACH DAY BETWEEN THE HOURS  OF  SEVEN
 A.M. AND ELEVEN P.M. OF THE UPCOMING ELECTION. EACH OF THE FOUR REQUIRED
 NOTIFICATIONS SHALL AIR AT LEAST THREE HOURS APART.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.