NY State Senate Bill 2017-S5527

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to elections
Apr 06, 2017	referred to elections

co-Sponsors

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6224
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Add Art 8 Title 6 §§8-600 - 8-604, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S3219, A3287
2021-2022: S281, A643
2023-2024: S2331, A10545

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Instructs the state board of elections to create and distribute voting guides to voters containing information about the candidates; mandates that voters receive postcards to notify them of upcoming elections and that television and radio stations also notify their audience of upcoming elections.

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S5527

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the election law, in relation to notifying voters of
the candidates and upcoming elections

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To set forth a procedure of the distribution of voting guides and
postcards to all registered voters and to require all major television
and radio stations using public airwaves to broadcast voting
information prior to all elections.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1

Voting Guide: any candidate seeking nomination or election at the next
primary and general election to any public office shall, at least six
weeks prior to said election provide biographical information, a
candidate's current occupation, educational and occupational
experience, and any other personal background or experience that the
candidate deems relevant to the election campaign, as well as any
answers to issue based questions that the candidate wishes to publish.
The state board of elections shall establish the format and length of

the statement, and shall provide candidates with a standard form for
preparing such statement. Within five days of the last day for filing
statements under this section, all local boards are expected to
forward these candidate biographies to the state board in electronic
form. The state board shall mail all registered voters in each
household within the state a voting guide consisting of all
biographical information and answers to related questions.

Postcards: For each primary and general election, the board of
elections must mail at least one registered voter in each household a
postcard notifying the voter of the date of the upcoming election.
The board of elections must send two postcards, the first being no
earlier than fifteen days and no later than ten days prior to the
election; and the second being no earlier than seven and no later than
five days before the election.

Television and Radio: For the ten days before the election, the state
board of elections shall require all television and radio stations
using public airwaves or doing business within the state to inform
their audience at least four times a day, each day between the hours
of seven A.M. and eleven P.M. of the upcoming election.

Section 2 sets the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Voter participation in elections is the lifeblood of our democracy.
Voter participation in New York State has been on the steady decline
since the 1950's when in 1953 the Mayor of the City of New York was
elected with 93% of the eligible voters casting a ballot. 60 years
later in 2013, only 24% of voters who were eligible cast a ballot - a
record low for that race. In the 2014 New York State Gubernatorial
race, only 29% of eligible voters turned out according to the NY State
Board of Elections, which ranked 49th out of 50 states nationally. In
the 2016 Presidential primary, less than 20% of eligible voters in New
York State turned out to vote which also ranked 49'h out of 50. With
voting in New York State consistently at its lowest levels ever, this
bill would assist in reminding voters when elections are taking place
so that they will be better able to participate.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2017: A6224 (Carroll)

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5527
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 6, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- 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 notifying voters of the
   candidates and upcoming elections
 
   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
                            VOTER NOTIFICATIONS
 SECTION 8-600. VOTING GUIDE.
         8-602. POSTCARDS.
         8-604. TELEVISION AND RADIO.
   § 8-600. VOTING GUIDE. 1. ANY CANDIDATE SEEKING NOMINATION OR ELECTION
 AT THE NEXT GENERAL AND PRIMARY ELECTION TO  ANY  PUBLIC  OFFICE,  OR  A
 DESIGNATED  AGENT  ACTING ON BEHALF OF SUCH CANDIDATE, MAY, AT LEAST SIX
 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE GENERAL AND PRIMARY ELECTION, FILE WITH THE BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS  WITH  WHICH  NOMINATING AND DESIGNATING PETITIONS AND CERTIF-
 ICATES FOR SUCH OFFICE ARE FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 6-144 OF THIS CHAP-
 TER A SWORN STATEMENT CONTAINING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION, SUCH  AS  THE
 CANDIDATE'S  OCCUPATION,  EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND, PRIOR
 GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIENCE, AND ANY OTHER PERSONAL BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE
 THAT THE CANDIDATE DEEMS RELEVANT TO THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN, AND  ANSWERS
 TO  ISSUE  BASED  QUESTIONS DRAFTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS THAT
 ARE SPECIFIED TO EACH POSITION.
   2. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL, BY  REGULATION,  ESTABLISH  THE
 FORMAT  AND  LENGTH  OF  THE STATEMENT AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS SECTION AND
 SHALL PROVIDE TO CANDIDATES  A  STANDARDIZED  FORM  FOR  PREPARING  SUCH
 STATEMENT.
   3.  WITHIN  FIVE  DAYS  AFTER THE LAST DAY FOR FILING STATEMENTS UNDER
 THIS SECTION, ALL LOCAL BOARDS  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  FORWARD  ALL  SUCH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD09507-04-7

 S. 5527                             2
 
 CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN ELECTRONIC FORM
 IN A MANNER TO BE PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
   4.  IN  THE EVENT THAT ANY CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES RECEIVED BY THE STATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS, FROM ANY LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IS NOT  IN  ELEC-
 TRONIC  FORM,  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL, WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER
 RECEIPT OF SUCH CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY, CONVERT SUCH CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY TO
 ELECTRONIC FORM.
   5. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL MAIL AND EMAIL, IF A  REGISTERED
 VOTER'S  EMAIL  IS  AVAILABLE  TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, TO EVERY
 REGISTERED VOTER IN EACH HOUSEHOLD IN THE STATE A VOTING GUIDE  CONSIST-
 ING  OF  ALL  BIOGRAPHICAL  INFORMATION AND ANSWERS TO ISSUE BASED QUES-
 TIONS, AS OUTLINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF  THIS  SECTION,  RECEIVED  FROM
 EACH CANDIDATE FOR WHOM THE RECEIVER OF THIS MAILING CAN VOTE FOR IN THE
 UPCOMING  ELECTION. IN THE EVENT THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS DETERMINES
 THAT DISTRIBUTION OF THE  VOTING  GUIDE  WOULD  BE  MORE  EFFICIENT  AND
 ECONOMICAL  IF DONE BY THE LOCAL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS, THE STATE BOARD IS
 HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO INSTRUCT ALL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS TO DISTRIBUTE  THE
 VOTING  GUIDE TO AT LEAST ONE REGISTERED VOTER IN EACH HOUSEHOLD. SHOULD
 THE STATE BOARD SO INSTRUCT THE BOARDS OF ELECTIONS, IT SHALL PROVIDE  A
 SUFFICIENT  NUMBER OF VOTING GUIDES TO EACH BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND SHALL
 PROMPTLY REIMBURSE EACH BOARD FOR THE ACTUAL COST OF POSTAGE INCURRED BY
 SAID BOARD IN DISTRIBUTING THE VOTING GUIDES PROVIDED  THAT  SAID  BOARD
 UTILIZE  THE  LOWEST  FEASIBLE POSTAGE RATE CHARGED BY THE UNITED STATES
 POSTAL SERVICE. THE DISTRIBUTION OF  THE  VOTING  GUIDES  TO  REGISTERED
 VOTERS  OR  HOUSEHOLDS  SHALL  BE  MADE  AT LEAST THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE
 ELECTION TO WHICH THEY PERTAIN.
   6. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL MAINTAIN  A  WEBSITE  WHERE  ALL
 VOTER  GUIDE  INFORMATION  IS  MAINTAINED, UPDATED AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE
 GENERAL PUBLIC.
   § 8-602. POSTCARDS. FOR EACH PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION,  THE  STATE
 BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS SHALL MAIL AND EMAIL, IF A REGISTERED VOTER'S EMAIL
 IS AVAILABLE TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, TO AT LEAST ONE REGISTERED
 VOTER IN EACH HOUSEHOLD A POSTCARD WHICH CONTAINS  INFORMATION  FOR  THE
 UPCOMING  ELECTION  THAT  CONTAINS  THE  DATE OF THE ELECTION. THE BOARD
 SHALL SEND THE POSTCARDS TWICE BEFORE THE ELECTION WITH THE FIRST  MAIL-
 ING  TO  BE MADE NO EARLIER THAN FIFTEEN DAYS AND NO LATER THAN TEN DAYS
 PRIOR TO THE ELECTION; AND WITH THE SECOND MAILING TO BE MADE NO EARLIER
 THAN SEVEN DAYS AND NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
   § 8-604. TELEVISION AND RADIO. FOR TEN CONSECUTIVE  DAYS  BEFORE  EACH
 PRIMARY  AND  GENERAL  ELECTION, ALL MAJOR TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS
 USING PUBLIC AIRWAVES OR DOING BUSINESS WITHIN THE  STATE  SHALL  INFORM
 THEIR  AUDIENCE  AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EACH DAY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF SEVEN
 A.M. AND ELEVEN P.M. OF THE UPCOMING ELECTION. EACH OF THE FOUR REQUIRED
 NOTIFICATIONS SHALL AIR AT LEAST THREE HOURS APART.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S5527

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

co-Sponsors

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S5527

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Sponsored By

Tony Avella

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

co-Sponsors

David Carlucci

Liz Krueger

Luis R. Sepúlveda

Jose M. Serrano

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S5527 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments