NY State Senate Bill 2021-S5274

Senate Bill S5274

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Relates to providing voting materials and assistance in Haitian Creole in a city having a population of one million or more persons

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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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to elections
Mar 01, 2021	referred to elections

2021-S5274 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5343
Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Add §3-507, El L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S7240, A9729
2017-2018: S2845, A312
2019-2020: S4882, A2711
2023-2024: S6382, A3919

2021-S5274 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to providing voting materials and assistance in Haitian Creole in a city having a population of one million or more.

2021-S5274 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S5274

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to providing voting mate-
rials and assistance in Haitian Creole

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of this bill is to allow for any Haitian Creole speakers to
have an easier understanding of the election process.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 is to provide all information that is provided by a board of
elections in English about the electoral process, which includes regis-
tration or voting notices, forms, instructions, voting systems, ballot
marking devices and ballots in Haitian Creole to the extent that is
needed for the voters who speak Haitian Creole, and this information
shall be provided on its website. A city-wide booklet that includes a

voter registration form in English with instructions in Haitian Creole
will be provided, as well as instructions in regard to the criteria and
application process for obtaining an absentee ballot, and a section with
general voter information, both in Haitian Creole. One or more Haitian
Creole-speaking interpreters will be provided at each polling location
in an election district that has a population comprised of five percent
or more of people who identify as Haitian.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Providing interpreters who speak the Haitian-Creole language will make
it possible for more Haitian-American residents to exercise their right
to vote.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20: S.4882 - Referred to Elections
2017-18: S.2845 - REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
2015-16: S.7240 - Referred to Elections

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the commis-
sioners of the New York State board of elections shall promulgate all
rules and regulations and take all actions necessary to implement the
provisions of this act on or before its effective date.

2021-S5274 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5274
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 1, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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 providing voting  mate-
   rials and assistance in Haitian Creole
 
   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  3-507
 to read as follows:
   §  3-507.  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS;  VOTING  MATERIALS  AND ASSISTANCE IN
 HAITIAN CREOLE.  A BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN A  CITY  OF  OVER  ONE  MILLION
 SHALL:
   (A)  PROVIDE  ALL  INFORMATION  THAT  IS  PROVIDED  BY SUCH A BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS IN ENGLISH ABOUT THE ELECTORAL PROCESS, INCLUDING REGISTRATION
 OR VOTING NOTICES, FORMS, INSTRUCTIONS, VOTING SYSTEMS,  BALLOT  MARKING
 DEVICES  AND  BALLOTS  IN  HAITIAN  CREOLE TO THE EXTENT NEEDED TO ALLOW
 VOTERS WHO SPEAK HAITIAN CREOLE TO PARTICIPATE EFFECTIVELY IN THE  ELEC-
 TORAL  PROCESS  AND  ALL  VOTING-CONNECTED  ACTIVITIES.  SUCH  BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS SHALL ALSO PROVIDE THE SAME INFORMATION IN HAITIAN CREOLE THAT
 IT PROVIDES IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH ON ITS WEBSITE.  SUCH  BOARD
 OF  ELECTIONS SHALL ALSO PRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE CITYWIDE A BOOKLET THAT
 INCLUDES: (1) A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM IN ENGLISH WITH INSTRUCTIONS  IN
 HAITIAN  CREOLE; (2) INSTRUCTIONS IN HAITIAN CREOLE REGARDING THE CRITE-
 RIA AND APPLICATION PROCESS FOR OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT; AND (3)  A
 SECTION  WITH  GENERAL  VOTER  INFORMATION  IN  HAITIAN CREOLE INCLUDING
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. SUCH BOARD MAY INCLUDE  OTHER  LANGUAGES  ON
 ITS WEBSITE AND IN SUCH BOOKLET.
   (B)  PROVIDE  ONE OR MORE HAITIAN CREOLE-SPEAKING INTERPRETERS AT EACH
 POLLING LOCATION IN ELECTION DISTRICTS IN ANY COUNTY THAT  HAS  A  POPU-
 LATION COMPRISED OF FIVE PERCENT OR MORE OF PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS BEING
 HAITIAN  ACCORDING  TO  THE  MOST  RECENT  UNITED STATES CENSUS, FOR THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06505-01-1

 S. 5274                             2
 
 PURPOSE OF ASSISTING VOTERS WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS  HAITIAN  CREOLE  TO
 PARTICIPATE IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE VOTING PROCESS.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law.  Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or
 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
 this  act  on  its effective date are authorized to be made on or before
 such date.

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