NY State Senate Bill 2017-S4085

Senate Bill S4085

2017-2018 Legislative Session

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

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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 03, 2018	referred to elections
Feb 03, 2017	referred to elections

co-Sponsors

2017-S4085 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Elections
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S3590
2011-2012: S424
2013-2014: S3252
2015-2016: S2739
2019-2020: S4242
2021-2022: S3114

2017-S4085 (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.

2017-S4085 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S4085

 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
2015-2016: S2739

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

2017-S4085 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4085
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. KRUEGER, BAILEY, HOYLMAN, PERKINS, SERRANO, SQUADRON
   -- 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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09729-01-7

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Senate Bill S4085

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Sponsored By

Liz Krueger