S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    259
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. MYRIE, KENNEDY, LIU -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to email notification of a
   change in location of a polling place

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section  4-104  of  the  election  law  is
 amended to read as follows:
   2.  If  the board of elections, after designating a polling place, and
 after sending written notice of such polling place  to  each  registered
 voter,  designates  an alternative polling place, it must, at least five
 days before the next election or day for registration, send by mail  AND
 EMAIL  a written notice to each registered voter notifying him OR HER of
 the changed location of such polling place. If such notice is not possi-
 ble the board of elections must  provide  for  an  alternative  form  of
 notice  to  be  given  to voters at the location of the previous polling
 place.
   § 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 4-104 of  the  election
 law,  as  amended by chapter 438 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read
 as follows:
   (a) Whenever the number of voters eligible to vote in an  election  in
 any election district is less than one hundred, the polling place desig-
 nated  for  such district may be the polling place of any other district
 which could properly be designated as the polling  place  of  the  first
 mentioned  district  pursuant  to the provisions of this chapter, except
 that the polling place designated for any such district may be the poll-
 ing place of any other district in such city or town provided  that  the
 distance  from  such  first  mentioned district to the polling place for
 such other district is not unreasonable pursuant to rules or regulations
 prescribed by the state board of elections and provided that  the  total

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02399-01-1

 S. 259                              2
 
 number  of  persons  eligible  to  vote  in  such other district in such
 election, including the persons eligible to vote in such first mentioned
 districts, is not more than five hundred. The inspectors of election and
 poll  clerks,  if any, of such other election district shall also act in
 all respects as the election officers for such first mentioned districts
 and no other inspectors shall be appointed to serve in or for such first
 mentioned districts. A separate poll ledger or computer generated regis-
 tration list, separate voting machine or ballots and separate canvass of
 results shall be provided for such  first  mentioned  districts,  except
 that if the candidates and ballot proposals to be voted on by the voters
 of such districts are the same, the election districts shall be combined
 and  shall  constitute  a  single  election  district for that election.
 However, if the first mentioned district contains fewer than ten  voters
 eligible  to  vote in such election, there shall be no limitation on the
 total number of persons eligible to vote in such combined  district.  If
 the  polling  place for any election district is moved for any election,
 pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision, the board  of  elections
 shall,  not  later  than  ten  nor  more  than  fifteen days before such
 election, mail, by first class mail, to each voter eligible to  vote  in
 such  election  district  at  such  election, a notice setting forth the
 location of the polling place for such election and specifying that such
 location is for such election only, AND EMAIL THE SAME  NOTIFICATION  TO
 ANY VOTER THAT HAS SUPPLIED THE BOARD WITH A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS.
   §  3.  Paragraph (k) of subdivision 5 of section 5-210 of the election
 law is amended by adding a new subparagraph (xiv) to read as follows:
   (XIV) A SPACE FOR THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE AN EMAIL ADDRESS  TO  WHICH
 OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS MAY BE SENT.
   §  4.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.