BILL NUMBER:S2739

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
inter-net, 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.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2009-2010: S.3590/A.6716
2011-2012: S.424/A.5204


2013-14: S.3252/A.3188

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.