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

                                  9920

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             April 27, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced by M. of A. CURRAN -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Election Law

AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to primary and secondary
  schools being used as polling places

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

  Section  1.  Subdivision  1  of  section 4-104 of the election law, as
amended by chapter 180 of the laws  of  2005,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  1.  Every  board  of  elections shall, in consultation with each city,
town and village, designate the polling places in each election district
in which the meetings for  the  registration  of  voters,  and  for  any
election  may  be  held.  The board of trustees of each village in which
general  and  special  village  elections  conducted  by  the  board  of
elections  are  held at a time other than the time of a general election
shall submit such a list of polling places for such village elections to
the board of elections. A polling place may be  located  in  a  building
owned  by  a religious organization or used by it as a place of worship.
If such a building is designated as a polling place,  it  shall  not  be
required  to  be  open for voter registration on any Saturday if this is
contrary to the religious beliefs of the religious organization. In such
a situation,  the  board  of  elections  shall  designate  an  alternate
location  to  be  used  for  voter registration.  A POLLING PLACE MAY BE
LOCATED IN A BUILDING UTILIZED FOR PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL  INSTRUC-
TION.  IF SUCH A BUILDING IS DESIGNATED AS A POLLING PLACE, IT SHALL NOT
BE REQUIRED TO BE OPEN FOR VOTER REGISTRATION OR AS A POLLING  PLACE  IF
THE  SCHOOL IS IN SESSION AND MINORS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE PRESENT ON SUCH
DAY. IN SUCH A SITUATION, THE BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  DESIGNATE  AN
ALTERNATE  LOCATION  TO  BE USED FOR VOTER REGISTRATION AND AS A POLLING
PLACE. Such polling places must be designated  by  May  first,  of  each
year,  and  shall  be  effective  for  one  year thereafter. Such a list
required to be submitted by a village board of trustees must be  submit-
ted  at least four months before each general village election and shall
be effective until four months before  the  subsequent  general  village

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

                                                           LBD15128-01-6

A. 9920                             2

election. No place in which a business licensed to sell alcoholic bever-
ages for on premises consumption is conducted on any day of local regis-
tration  or  of voting shall be so designated. If, within the discretion
of  the  board  of elections a particular polling place so designated is
subsequently found to be unsuitable or unsafe  or  should  circumstances
arise  that  make  a designated polling place unsuitable or unsafe, then
the board of elections is empowered to  select  an  alternative  meeting
place.  In  the city of New York, the board of elections shall designate
such polling places and alternate registration  places  if  the  polling
place cannot be used for voter registration on Saturdays.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.