S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1786
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 13, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. PEOPLES-STOKES -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation  to  providing  for  early
   voting
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Article 8 of the election law is amended by  adding  a  new
 title 6 to read as follows:
                                 TITLE VI
                               EARLY VOTING
 SECTION 8-600. EARLY VOTING PROCEDURES.
         8-602. APPLICATION FOR EARLY VOTING.
         8-604. STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS; POWERS AND DUTIES OF.
   §  8-600.  EARLY  VOTING PROCEDURES. 1. NO SOONER THAN TWENTY BUSINESS
 DAYS AND NO LATER THAN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR  TO  THE  FIRST  TUESDAY
 FOLLOWING  THE FIRST MONDAY IN NOVEMBER OF EACH ELECTION YEAR, AS DESIG-
 NATED ELECTION DAY, A PERSON MAY, UPON COMPLETION OF  A  FORMAL  WRITTEN
 APPLICATION,  VOTE  FOR  A  CANDIDATE  FOR  PUBLIC  OFFICE  IN A GENERAL
 ELECTION, AND SUCH EARLY  VOTING  PRACTICE  SHALL  TAKE  PLACE  AT  SUCH
 PERSON'S COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, OR AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION AS OTHER-
 WISE DESIGNATED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, OR AS DESIGNATED BY AND
 THROUGH A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS UNDER THE POWERS GRANTED PURSUANT TO
 THIS  SECTION  ON  OR  BEFORE  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE OF THIS SECTION. FOR
 PURPOSES OF A PRIMARY ELECTION, SUCH EARLY VOTING SHALL  TAKE  PLACE  NO
 SOONER  THAN  TWENTY  BUSINESS DAYS AND NO LATER THAN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS
 PRIOR TO SUCH ELECTION DAY.  FOR PURPOSES OF A  SPECIAL  ELECTION,  SUCH
 EARLY  VOTING SHALL TAKE PLACE NO SOONER THAN EIGHT BUSINESS DAYS AND NO
 LATER THAN TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO SUCH ELECTION DAY.
   2. EACH COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PUBLISH NOTICE  OF  THE  DATE,
 TIME,  AND MANNER OF SUCH EARLY VOTING PRACTICE FOR GENERAL, PRIMARY AND
 SPECIAL ELECTIONS BY A NEWSPAPER  OF  GENERAL  CIRCULATION  THIRTY  DAYS
 PRIOR  TO COMMENCEMENT OF THE FIRST DAY OF SUCH EARLY VOTING FOR GENERAL
 OR SPECIAL ELECTIONS.
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03624-01-7

 A. 1786                             2
 
   3. SUCH VOTING PROCEDURE SHALL BE MONITORED AND  ADMINISTERED  BY  TWO
 DULY  DESIGNATED  PERSONS, ONE FROM EACH MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY, AND SUCH
 VOTING SHALL FOLLOW AND CONFORM TO ALL OTHER  PROCEDURES,  MEASURES  AND
 REQUIREMENTS  OF CASTING A VOTE BY A VOTING MACHINE AS PRESCRIBED PURSU-
 ANT TO THIS CHAPTER. ALL VOTES CAST WITHIN THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD SHALL
 BE COUNTED ON ELECTION DAY WITH ALL OTHER VOTES CAST FOR SUCH CANDIDATES
 AND IN THE SAME MANNER AS PRESCRIBED IN ARTICLE NINE OF THIS CHAPTER.
   §  8-602.  APPLICATION  FOR  EARLY  VOTING.    1.  THE COUNTY BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS SHALL FURNISH ONE APPLICATION FOR EARLY VOTING  TO  ANY  VOTER
 WHO   PERSONALLY  APPEARS  AND  WISHES  TO  EXERCISE  THIS  RIGHT.  UPON
 COMPLETION OF SUCH APPLICATION, TWO DULY  DESIGNATED  EMPLOYEES  OF  THE
 COUNTY  BOARD  OF ELECTIONS, ONE FROM EACH MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY REPRES-
 ENTED, SHALL COMPARE THE INFORMATION OF THE VOTER WITH THE SIGNATURE  ON
 THE  VOTER'S  PERMANENT  REGISTRATION RECORD, OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF IDEN-
 TIFICATION IF COMPUTERIZED DUPLICATE  REGISTRATION RECORDS ARE USED, AND
 SHALL ENDORSE ON THE APPLICATION THAT SUCH REVIEW  HAS  BEEN  COMPLETED.
 THE  RESULTS  OR  TABULATION OF VOTES CAST DURING AN EARLY VOTING PERIOD
 SHALL NOT BE MADE BEFORE THE CLOSE OF ALL POLLING PLACES ON ELECTION DAY
 AND RESULTS SHALL BE REPORTED BY PRECINCT.  BALLOTS USED IN EARLY VOTING
 SHALL BE, AS NEARLY AS PRACTICABLE, THE  SAME  FORM  AS  THOSE  USED  ON
 ELECTION DAY.
   2.  THE  APPLICATION  FOR  EARLY  VOTING SHALL REQUIRE AND INCLUDE THE
 FOLLOWING IDENTIFYING INFORMATION:
   (A) THE DATE OF THE ELECTION,
   (B) NAME OF THE COUNTY, OR NAME OF A  CITY  IF  THERE  BE  A  SEPARATE
 BALLOT FOR CITY VOTERS,
   (C) THE NAME OF THE VOTER,
   (D) RESIDENCE OF VOTER,
   (E) NUMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, IF ANY,
   (F) NAME OF TOWN, NUMBER OF WARD, IF ANY, AND
   (G) ELECTION DISTRICT AND PARTY ENROLLMENT. THERE SHALL BE A PLACE FOR
 TWO  SIGNATURES  OF  PERSONS  DESIGNATED TO INSPECT, ONE FROM EACH MAJOR
 POLITICAL PARTY, THAT SUCH PERSONS HAVE CHECKED AND MARKED  THE  VOTER'S
 REGISTRATION  AND  POLL  RECORD. ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF SUCH APPLICATION
 SHALL BE PRINTED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
   I DO DECLARE THAT I AM A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, THAT I AM  DULY
 REGISTERED  IN  THE  ELECTION DISTRICT SHOWN ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS
 APPLICATION AND I AM QUALIFIED TO VOTE IN SUCH DISTRICT; THAT I  DO  NOT
 INTEND  TO  VOTE  ELSEWHERE,  THAT I HAVE NOT COMMITTED ANY ACT NOR AM I
 UNDER ANY IMPEDIMENT WHICH DENIES ME THE RIGHT TO VOTE. I HEREBY DECLARE
 THAT THE FOREGOING IS A TRUE STATEMENT TO THE BEST OF MY  KNOWLEDGE  AND
 BELIEF,  AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I MAKE ANY MATERIAL FALSE STATEMENT IN
 THE FOREGOING STATEMENT, I SHALL BE GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR.
   (DATE)_________________
   _______________________
   (SIGNATURE AND ADDRESS OF VOTER)_______________________
   _______________________________________________________
   (WITNESS)______________________
   _______________________________
   § 8-604. STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS; POWERS AND DUTIES OF. ANY  RULE  OR
 REGULATION  NECESSARY  FOR  THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
 TITLE SHALL  BE  PROMULGATED  BY  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS.  ALL
 COMPLETED  APPLICATIONS FOR EARLY VOTING SHALL BE KEPT AND MAINTAINED BY
 THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.