S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6395--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 26, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Elections  --  committee
   discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
   to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the election law, in relation to providing an online
   absentee ballot tracking system

   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 8-414
 to read as follows:
   § 8-414. ONLINE ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING SYSTEM. 1. THE STATE BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN  AN  ELECTRONIC  ABSENTEE  BALLOT
 TRACKING SYSTEM. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS PROVIDED BY
 THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, EACH LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL MAIN-
 TAIN AN ABSENTEE  BALLOT  TRACKING  SYSTEM  INTEGRATED  WITH  THE  STATE
 BOARD'S  SYSTEM,  AND  WHICH  MAY  BE  INTEGRATED WITH THE UNITED STATES
 POSTAL SERVICE TRACKING SYSTEM, TO ALLOW A VOTER WHO  HAS  SUBMITTED  AN
 APPLICATION  FOR  AN  ABSENTEE BALLOT TO TRACK THE STATUS OF AN ABSENTEE
 APPLICATION AND AN ABSENTEE BALLOT ON THE STATE  BOARD  OR  LOCAL  BOARD
 WEBSITE.
   2. SUCH WEBSITE SHALL NOT REQUIRE USERS TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT BUT SHALL
 REQUIRE  VERIFICATION  THAT  THE USER IS ACCESSING HIS OR HER OWN RECORD
 THROUGH THE INCLUSION OF DATA IDENTIFYING THE VOTER  AND  THE  BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS  AT  WHICH  THE VOTER IS REGISTERED, AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION
 REQUIRED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
   3. THE BALLOT TRACKING SYSTEM SHALL  INDICATE  TO  THE  VOTER  IF  THE
 BOARD:
   (A) RECEIVED SUCH VOTER'S APPLICATION FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT;
   (B)  APPROVED  OR REJECTED SUCH APPLICATION AND, IF REJECTED, AN INDI-
 CATION OF THE REASON FOR SUCH REJECTION;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD05765-04-1
              

 S. 6395--A                          2
 
   (C) MAILED OR DELIVERED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO SUCH VOTER, THE DATE  OF
 SUCH MAILING OR DELIVERY, AND THE EXPECTED DATE OF RECEIPT;
   (D) RECEIVED THE BALLOT BACK AS UNDELIVERABLE;
   (E) RECEIVED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT;
   (F) DETERMINED THE BALLOT ENVELOPE WAS SUBJECT TO A CURE; AND
   (G) COUNTED OR REJECTED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT AND, IF
 REJECTED, A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR REJECTION.
   §  2.  Nothing in section one of this act shall prevent a county board
 of elections or the board of elections of the  city  of  New  York  from
 establishing  a  ballot  tracking  system prior to the effective date of
 this act, provided, however, upon the  establishment  of  the  statewide
 system  required  by  section one of this act, all local ballot tracking
 systems shall comply with section one of this act  and  be  fully  inte-
 grated  with  the  statewide system. Full integration with the statewide
 system may be accomplished by boards of elections using their own ballot
 tracking system by providing data to the state board  of  elections,  in
 the  form  and  at intervals prescribed by the state board of elections,
 provided that voters can access their tracking information in a  secure,
 user-friendly format approved by the state board of elections.
   §  3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2022. Effective immediate-
 ly, the state board of elections shall be authorized to  promulgate  any
 rules  or  regulations  required to carry out the provisions of this act
 prior to such effective date.