S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4370
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 10, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law,  in  relation  to  mandatory  training
   curriculum   for  election  commissioners,  key  staff  of  boards  of
   elections and poll workers

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-213
 to read as follows:
   § 3-213.  BOARDS  OF  ELECTIONS;  MANDATORY  TRAINING  CURRICULUM.  1.
 ELECTION  COMMISSIONERS  AND  SUCH OTHER BOARD OF ELECTIONS EMPLOYEES AS
 DETERMINED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL WITHIN SIX MONTHS AFTER
 THEIR FIRST APPOINTMENT COMPLETE A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION ON  THE  OPERA-
 TION  OF A BOARD OF ELECTIONS WHICH SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE STATE BOARD
 OF ELECTIONS. THE CURRICULUM SHALL BE ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH  ELECTION  COMMISSIONERS AND SHALL NOT
 EXCEED THIRTY HOURS OF INSTRUCTION.
   2. ANNUALLY, ELECTION  COMMISSIONERS  AND  OTHER  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS
 EMPLOYEES  AS DETERMINED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, SHALL COMPLETE
 BEFORE JUNE FIRST A CONTINUING COURSE OF INSTRUCTION ON THE OPERATION OF
 A BOARD OF ELECTIONS WHICH SHALL BE  PROVIDED  BY  THE  STATE  BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS.  THE  CURRICULUM  SHALL  BE ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ELECTION COMMISSIONERS AND SHALL  NOT
 EXCEED THREE HOURS OF INSTRUCTION.
   3. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL PROVIDE THE TRAINING REQUIRED BY
 SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION THROUGH, IN ADDITION TO OTHER METHODS IT
 MAY CHOOSE, A WEB-BASED RECORDED FORMAT.
   4.  UPON  THE  FAILURE OF A COMMISSIONER OR OTHER EMPLOYEE TO COMPLETE
 THE INSTRUCTION WITHIN THE TIME REQUIRED  BY  THIS  SECTION,  THE  STATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL SEND A LETTER TO THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OR CITY
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06192-01-7
              

 S. 4370                             2
 
 COUNCIL AND THE RESPECTIVE COUNTY PARTY CHAIR OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE
 COMMISSIONER STATING THE DELINQUENCY.
   §  2.   Subdivision 1-a of section 3-412 of the election law, as added
 by chapter 181 of the laws of 2005, is amended and  three  new  subdivi-
 sions 1-b, 1-c and 1-d are added to read as follows:
   1-a.  The  state  board  of elections shall establish a mandatory core
 curriculum for poll worker training which includes the  requirements  in
 subdivision two of this section, [as amended by a chapter of the laws of
 2005,]  and the rights of voters at the polls and obligation of election
 workers to protect those rights while maintaining the integrity  of  the
 franchise,  including assisting voters with disabilities or with limited
 or no proficiency in the  English  language,  handling,  processing  and
 entitlement to ballots, including affidavit and emergency ballots, prop-
 er  identification  requirements, procedures to be followed with respect
 to voters whose names are not on the list of registered voters or  whose
 identities  have  not been verified, electioneering and other violations
 of the elective franchise as defined in this  chapter,  solicitation  by
 individuals  and  groups  at  the  polling  place  and  procedures to be
 followed after the polls close. Each board of  elections  shall  augment
 the core curriculum with local procedures not inconsistent with the core
 curriculum  adopted  by  the state board of elections and which includes
 procedures relating to proper operation of, and remedying problems with,
 the voting machine or system in use in that jurisdiction.
   1-B. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ESTABLISH AND HOST  AN  EDUCA-
 TION  AND TRAINING INSTITUTE WHICH SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOP-
 MENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF  A  STATEWIDE  PROGRAM  WHEREIN  PERSONS  CAN
 BECOME  CERTIFIED POLL WORKER TRAINERS. THIS INSTITUTE SHALL ALSO CREATE
 A TRAIN-THE-TRAINER PROGRAM, IN ORDER FOR COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS  TO
 IMPLEMENT  AN EFFECTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM AT THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCAL LEVEL
 OF PROGRAM DELIVERY.  THE STATE BOARD'S TRAINERS SHALL  INCLUDE  IN  THE
 TRAINER CURRICULUM TO BE DEVELOPED, ATTENTION TO, INTER ALIA, POLL WORK-
 ER  ABILITY  TO  SERVE A DIVERSE ELECTORATE WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE AND
 RESPECT; PROFESSIONALIZING THE DELIVERY OF ALL  ELECTION  DAY  SERVICES;
 PROVIDING  ASSISTANCE TO VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES AND THOSE WITH LIMITED
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY, ENSURING THE DIGNITY AND PRIVACY  OF  SUCH
 INDIVIDUALS;  AND  TO  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  ARE MEMBERS OF RACIAL OR ETHNIC
 MINORITIES, COMPLETE FAMILIARITY AND COMFORT WITH ALL VOTING SYSTEMS  IN
 USE   IN   POLL   SITES,  INCLUDING  BALLOT  MARKING  DEVICES  OR  OTHER
 SYSTEMS/SERVICES AVAILABLE TO VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES; AND POLL  WORKER
 ABILITY  TO RECOGNIZE AND RESOLVE A VARIETY OF ISSUES WHICH MAY ARISE IN
 POLL SITES. THE STATE BOARD'S TRAINERS AND  ALL  CERTIFIED  POLL  WORKER
 INSTRUCTORS  SHALL  UTILIZE INDUSTRY-PROVEN TRAINING TECHNIQUES AIMED AT
 ADULT LEARNERS  INCLUDING  ROLE-BASED  TRAINING  AND  HANDS-ON  TRAINING
 OPPORTUNITIES  USING  OFFICIAL  ELECTION  DAY FORMS AND POLL SITE VOTING
 SYSTEMS AND MAY FURTHER INCLUDE  A  WEB-BASED  COMPONENT  AND  COMPANION
 VIDEO.
   1-C.  COUNTY BOARDS SHALL ENROLL TRAINERS IN THE PROGRAM IN SUCH QUAN-
 TITIES TO ENSURE THAT AN ADEQUATE CONTINGENT OF FULLY TRAINED AND CERTI-
 FIED POLL WORKER TRAINERS ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET THE  TRAINING  NEEDS  OF
 SUCH  COUNTY.  EACH COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ENROLL NOT LESS THAN
 TWO PERSONS DESIGNATED BY THE COUNTY BOARD ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, IN THE
 STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TRAINING  INSTITUTE.  CERTIFIED  TRAINERS  MUST
 MAINTAIN  THEIR  CERTIFICATION  BY  ATTENDING  ONCE  EVERY  TWO YEARS, A
 CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM, TO ENSURE THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE  POLL
 WORKER  TRAINING  AGENDA  SET BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS. ENROLLEES
 WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE STATE BOARD'S TRAINING  PROGRAM  AND

 S. 4370                             3
 
 BEEN  AWARDED A "CERTIFIED POLL WORKER INSTRUCTOR" CERTIFICATE MAY SERVE
 AT THE COUNTY BOARD AS A TRAINER OF POLL WORKERS AS WELL AS A TRAINER OF
 OTHER BI-PARTISAN DESIGNEES OF THE COUNTY BOARD, HOWEVER THE  CONFERRING
 OF  THE TITLE "CERTIFIED POLL WORKER INSTRUCTOR" MAY BE MADE ONLY BY THE
 STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
   1-D. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL ADOPT  SUCH  RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS  WHICH  MAY  BE  NECESSARY  TO CREATE THE TRAINING INSTITUTE AND
 ASSOCIATED CURRICULA PROVIDED FOR IN SUBDIVISIONS ONE-A, ONE-B AND ONE-C
 OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING A PROCESS WHEREBY ATTENDEES WHO  SUCCESSFULLY
 COMPLETE  A  STATE  BOARD-SPONSORED  TRAINING PROGRAM SHALL BE AWARDED A
 CERTIFICATE CONFERRING UPON HIM OR HER, THE  TITLE  OF  "CERTIFIED  POLL
 WORKER INSTRUCTOR".
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
 ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
 authorized  and  directed  to  be  made  and completed on or before such
 effective date.