NY State Senate Bill 2009-S3590

Senate Bill S3590

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Provides for the state board of elections to undertake a study of the feasibility for voting by mail, telephone and/or internet

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to elections
Mar 25, 2009	referred to elections

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2009-S3590 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6716
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Elections
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S424, A5204
2013-2014: S3252, A3188
2015-2016: S2739
2017-2018: S4085
2019-2020: S4242
2021-2022: S3114

2009-S3590 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for the state board of elections to undertake a study of the feasibility for voting by mail, telephone and/or the internet; authorizes a pilot program for such voting during the study; requires a report to the governor and legislature.

2009-S3590 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S3590

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act providing for the state board of elections to undertake a study
on the feasibility of permitting voting by mail, telephone and/or the
internet and to establish pilot projects relating thereto


 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
This bill would require that the state board of elections do a study
of the feasibility of voting by mail, telephone and/or over the
internet.  It would also empower it to establish pilot programs to
evaluate the feasibility of any of these methods of voting.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
Section 1 mandates that the state board of elections undertake a study
of the feasibility of voting by mail, telephone and/or over the
internet, that such a study may include pilot programs of each method,
and that it report to the legislature and the governor the results of
the study along with recommendations.

 JUSTIFICATION :
One of the primary goals of any representative form of government
should be to have every eligible voter participate. While attaining
such a goal may be a practical impossibility, the legislature must
find ways to increase voter turnout. That is especially true given the

ominous decline in turnout Over the past four decades in New York
State. Since the 1956 election, the percentage of registered voters
who cast ballots has steadily fallen from over 93% to less than 64%.

In a recent nationwide study conducted for the League of Women Voters,
a majority of non-voters supported proposals which make voting more
convenient. Keeping the polls open longer and providing an opportunity
to vote by mail were both considered very helpful in getting them to
cast votes. This bill would require the board of elections to examine
the possibility of using mail, telephone and internet voting. In
almost all the tests of mail voting, it has significantly increased
voter participation. Recent elections in Oregon have been conducted by
mail with startlingly positive results and little or no fraud.
According to election officials in various parts of the country,
including New York State, the technology exists to use touch-tone
phones to securely case your vote.  Given the constant decline in
voter participation in the electoral process, the state should examine
these methods of increasing turnout.  The results of this study, when
presented to the legislature, will enable it to decide if this is a
course that New York should follow.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
Minimal.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2009-S3590 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3590

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 25, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  KRUEGER,  HASSELL-THOMPSON,  HUNTLEY, MONSERRATE,
  OPPENHEIMER, PERKINS -- read  twice  and  ordered  printed,  and  when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections

AN  ACT  providing for the state board of elections to undertake a study
  on the feasibility of permitting voting by mail, telephone and/or  the
  internet and to establish pilot projects relating thereto

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The state board of elections shall undertake a study on the
feasibility of permitting voting by mail, telephone and/or the internet.
Such study shall include but not be limited to evaluation of the ability
of verifying votes by mail, telephone and/or the internet and the impact
on the number of the electorate voting in primary and general elections.
Notwithstanding any other provision of  law  to  the  contrary,  at  any
primary  or  general  election during the undertaking of such study, the
state board of elections may provide a pilot program  permitting  voting
by  mail,  telephone  and/or the internet.  The state board of elections
shall submit such study including recommendations to  the  governor  and
state  legislature  within  twenty-four  months of the effective date of
this act.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.




 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD07524-01-9

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