S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
5738
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
February 28, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed,
and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to requiring the board of
elections to provide Russian interpreters to certain polling locations
in cities having a population in excess of one million people
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 5-216 of the election law is
amended to read as follows:
2. A. If the applicant be a person who does not speak the English
language, [he] THE APPLICANT may be assisted by a relative who can
interpret for [him] THE APPLICANT. If the applicant registers with this
assistance the board shall put in the remarks space of the registration
forms the name and address, and the relationship, of the person so doing
the interpreting and the interpreter shall sign [his] THE INTERPRETER'S
name in the remarks space.
B. IN ANY CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE PEOPLE,
WHICH CONTAINS ANY COUNTY THAT HAS A POPULATION COMPRISED OF FIVE
PERCENT OR MORE OF PEOPLE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS RUSSIAN WITHIN SUCH
COUNTY, THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PROVIDE RUSSIAN INTERPRETERS AT
POLLING LOCATIONS IN THOSE ELECTION DISTRICTS WITHIN EACH SUCH COUNTY IN
THE CITY HAVING A POPULATION COMPRISED OF FIVE PERCENT OR MORE PEOPLE
WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS RUSSIAN.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
elections conducted on or after such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03891-01-5
If here legally they should know enough English to vote already. If not here legally then they need to be removed and not allowed to vote. Part of assimilation to becoming a legal citizen is to lean english