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Senate Bill S7188

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to absentee voter applications

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

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2025-S7188 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Elections
Law Section:
Election Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §8-400, El L
Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
S5076

2025-S7188 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the board of elections to send an absentee ballot application to all voters who filed an absentee ballot application for the prior election; provides for a permanent absentee ballot application list.

2025-S7188 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7188 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7188
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- 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 absentee voter applica-
   tions
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Section  8-400 of the election law is amended by adding a
 new subdivision 11 to read as follows:
   11. PRIOR TO ANY VILLAGE ELECTION, PRIMARY ELECTION, SPECIAL ELECTION,
 OR GENERAL ELECTION, THE BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  SEND  AN  ABSENTEE
 BALLOT  APPLICATION  TO ALL VOTERS WHO FILED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICA-
 TION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION FOR THE PREVIOUS VILLAGE ELECTION, PRIMARY
 ELECTION, SPECIAL ELECTION, OR GENERAL ELECTION.
   § 2. Section 8-400 of the election law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 12 to read as follows:
   12. THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ESTABLISH A PERMANENT ABSENTEE BALLOT
 APPLICATION  LIST WHICH SHALL INDICATE ALL VOTERS WHO WISH TO RECEIVE AN
 ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATION  PRIOR  TO  ANY  VILLAGE  ELECTION,  PRIMARY
 ELECTION,  SPECIAL ELECTION, OR GENERAL ELECTION. A VOTER MAY REQUEST TO
 BE PLACED ON SUCH LIST AT ANY TIME  BY  MAKING  AN  APPLICATION  TO  THE
 APPLICABLE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  ELECTRONICALLY OR BY MAIL. A VOTER MAY
 REQUEST TO BE REMOVED FROM SUCH LIST AT ANY TIME BY MAKING A REQUEST  TO
 THE APPLICABLE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN WRITING, ELECTRONICALLY OR BY MAIL.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately provided, however, that
 section two of this act shall take effect on the same date  and  in  the
 same  manner  as  a  "CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION  OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
 proposing an amendment to section 2 of article 2 of the constitution, in
 relation to authorizing ballot by mail by removing  cause  for  absentee
 ballot  voting" takes effect, in accordance with section 1 of article 19
 of the constitution.  Effective  immediately,  the  addition,  amendment
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

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