NY State Senate Bill 2021-S321

Senate Bill S321

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Adds a voter's e-mail address and telephone number to the information contained on a voter registration application that is not available for public inspection

download bill text pdf

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 05, 2022	referred to elections
Jan 06, 2021	referred to elections

2021-S321 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3-220, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S7980
2023-2024: S2347

2021-S321 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Adds a voter's e-mail address and telephone number to the information contained on a voter registration application that is not available for public inspection.

2021-S321 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S321

SPONSOR: MYRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to adding a voter's e-mail
address and telephone number to the information contained on a voter
registration application that is not available for public inspection

 
PURPOSE:

Provides that a voter's telephone number and/or e-mail address provided
on a voter registration application is not available for public
inspection.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of section 3-220 of the election law, as
2 amended by chapter 104 of the laws of 2010 to include email addresses
and telephone numbers to the list of personal information not available
for public inspection under the supervision of the board of elections.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The current statutory provision was designed to protect voters' sensi-
tive, personal information, which is requested on a voter registration
application, from its improper use. The current law exempts a voter's
driver's license number, department of motor vehicle non-driver photo ID
number, social security number and facsimile number from public
inspection and disclosure. Recently, the application form was changed to
ask the voter to provide an e-mail address in addition to their tele-
phone number.

Identity theft and the improper use of personal identification informa-
tion is a growing problem as technology has advanced. To permit the
public disclosure of a voter's telephone number and/or e-mail address,
can actually deter an unregistered voter from completing an application.
In addition, it can be a cause of concern to voters who may not wish to
receive information either by e-mail or telephone. The protection of
email addresses and phone numbers will not have a detrimental effect on
either the Board's or a member of the public's ability to verify the
identity of a voter.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S7980 of 2019-20

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S321 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    321
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MYRIE  -- 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 adding a voter's e-mail
   address and telephone number to the information contained on  a  voter
   registration application that is not available for public inspection
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 3-220  of  the  election  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  104  of  the  laws  of 2010, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. All registration  records,  certificates,  lists,  and  inventories
 referred to in, or required by, this chapter shall be public records and
 open  to  public inspection under the immediate supervision of the board
 of elections or its employees and subject to such reasonable regulations
 as such board may impose, provided, however,  that  a  voter's  driver's
 license  number, department of motor vehicle non-driver photo ID number,
 social security number, E-MAIL ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER  and  facsimile
 number  shall  not  be  released  for public inspection. No such records
 shall be handled at any time by any person other  than  a  member  of  a
 registration  board  or  board  of  inspectors  of elections or board of
 elections except as provided by rules imposed by the board of elections.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02514-01-1

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