S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  5424--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 16, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. TAYLOR -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on  Election  Law  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in  relation  to  enacting  the  "Make
   Voting  Easy  Act"  to require that the board of elections designate a
   number of early voting polling places based on the  number  of  regis-
   tered voters in each county
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "Make Voting Easy Act".
   § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 8-600 of the election law, as  added  by
 chapter 6 of the laws of 2019, paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 74 of
 the  laws  of  2021, paragraph (b) as added and paragraphs (c), (d), and
 (e) as relettered by chapter 110 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read
 as follows:
   2. (a) The board of elections shall designate polling places for early
 voting, which may include the offices of the  board  of  elections,  for
 persons  to  vote early pursuant to this title[; provided, however, that
 the].
   (B) THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTY OR, IF THERE  IS  NO  CITY  IN  THE
 COUNTY,  THE  municipality  with  the  highest population in each county
 based on the latest federal decennial census,  or  the  county  seat  in
 Washington  county, shall have at least one polling place designated for
 early voting, and to the extent practicable if such CITY OR municipality
 has public transportation routes, such polling place shall  be  situated
 along such transportation routes. [There]
   (C) IN COUNTIES WITH AT LEAST FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND REGISTERED VOTERS,
 THERE shall be so designated at least one early voting polling place for
 every  full  increment  of  [fifty] FORTY thousand registered voters [in
 each county; provided, however,].
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD03251-12-1

 A. 5424--A                          2
 
   (D) IN ALL OTHER COUNTIES WITH LESS THAN FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND  REGIS-
 TERED  VOTERS,  THERE  SHALL  BE SO DESIGNATED AT LEAST ONE EARLY VOTING
 POLLING PLACE FOR EVERY FULL INCREMENT  OF  THIRTY  THOUSAND  REGISTERED
 VOTERS;  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the number of early voting polling places in
 [a  county]  COUNTIES  WITH  LESS  THAN FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND REGISTERED
 VOTERS shall not be required to be greater than ten [unless required  by
 any  other provision of law, and a county with fewer than fifty thousand
 voters shall have at least one early voting polling place] NOR LESS THAN
 ONE.
   [(b)] (E) For any special, primary  or  run-off  primary  election  at
 which  no  voters of the municipality with the highest population within
 the county are eligible to vote, the board of elections may, in lieu  of
 having  an  early voting polling place in such municipality, designate a
 polling place for early voting in  the  municipality  with  the  highest
 population  within  the  county  within which the voters are eligible to
 vote at such special, primary, or run-off primary election.
   [(c)] (F) The board of elections of each county or  the  city  of  New
 York  may establish additional polling places for early voting in excess
 of the minimum number required by this subdivision for  the  convenience
 of eligible voters.
   [(d)]  (G)  Notwithstanding  the  minimum  number of early voting poll
 sites otherwise required by this subdivision, for any primary or special
 election, upon majority vote of the board of elections,  the  number  of
 early voting sites may be reduced when the board of elections determines
 a  lesser  number  of  sites  is  sufficient  to meet the needs of early
 voters.
   [(e)] (H) Polling places for early voting shall  be  located  so  that
 voters  in  the  county  have adequate and equitable access, taking into
 consideration population density, travel  time  to  the  polling  place,
 proximity  to  other  early  voting  poll  sites,  public transportation
 routes, commuter traffic patterns and such other factors  the  board  of
 elections  deems  appropriate.  The  provisions of section 4-104 of this
 chapter, except subdivisions four and five of such section, shall  apply
 to  the  designation  of  polling  places for early voting except to the
 extent such provisions are inconsistent with this section.
   § 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 4 of section 8-600 of  the  election
 law,  as  added  by chapter 6 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
 follows:
   (c) Polls shall be open for early voting for  at  least  [five]  EIGHT
 hours between nine o'clock in the morning and [six] EIGHT o'clock in the
 evening  on  each  Saturday,  Sunday  and legal holiday during the early
 voting period.
   § 4. This act shall take effect April 1, 2022 and shall apply  to  any
 general, primary, run-off primary, or special election held thereafter.