S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10545
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 3, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Carroll) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
 
 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to notifying voters of the
   candidates and upcoming elections
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Article  8 of the election law is amended by adding a new
 title 8 to read as follows:
                                TITLE VIII
                            VOTER NOTIFICATIONS
 SECTION 8-800. VOTING GUIDE.
         8-802. POSTCARDS.
         8-804. TELEVISION AND RADIO.
   § 8-800. VOTING GUIDE. 1. ANY CANDIDATE SEEKING NOMINATION OR ELECTION
 AT THE NEXT GENERAL AND PRIMARY ELECTION TO  ANY  PUBLIC  OFFICE,  OR  A
 DESIGNATED  AGENT  ACTING ON BEHALF OF SUCH CANDIDATE, MAY, AT LEAST SIX
 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE GENERAL AND PRIMARY ELECTION, FILE WITH THE BOARD  OF
 ELECTIONS  WITH  WHICH  NOMINATING AND DESIGNATING PETITIONS AND CERTIF-
 ICATES FOR SUCH OFFICE ARE FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 6-144 OF THIS CHAP-
 TER A SWORN STATEMENT CONTAINING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION, SUCH  AS  THE
 CANDIDATE'S  OCCUPATION,  EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND, PRIOR
 GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIENCE, AND ANY OTHER PERSONAL BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE
 THAT THE CANDIDATE DEEMS RELEVANT TO THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN, AND  ANSWERS
 TO  ISSUE  BASED  QUESTIONS DRAFTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS THAT
 ARE SPECIFIED TO EACH POSITION.
   2. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL, BY  REGULATION,  ESTABLISH  THE
 FORMAT  AND  LENGTH  OF  THE STATEMENT AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS SECTION AND
 SHALL PROVIDE TO CANDIDATES  A  STANDARDIZED  FORM  FOR  PREPARING  SUCH
 STATEMENT.
   3.  WITHIN  FIVE  DAYS  AFTER THE LAST DAY FOR FILING STATEMENTS UNDER
 THIS SECTION, ALL LOCAL BOARDS  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL  FORWARD  ALL  SUCH
 CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN ELECTRONIC FORM
 IN A MANNER TO BE PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01318-04-4
              

 A. 10545                            2
 
   4.  IN  THE EVENT THAT ANY CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHIES RECEIVED BY THE STATE
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS, FROM ANY LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IS NOT  IN  ELEC-
 TRONIC  FORM,  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL, WITHIN TEN DAYS AFTER
 RECEIPT OF SUCH CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY, CONVERT SUCH CANDIDATE BIOGRAPHY TO
 ELECTRONIC FORM.
   5.  THE  STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL EMAIL, IF A REGISTERED VOTER'S
 EMAIL IS AVAILABLE TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, TO EVERY  REGISTERED
 VOTER  IN THE STATE A VOTING GUIDE CONSISTING OF ALL BIOGRAPHICAL INFOR-
 MATION AND ANSWERS TO ISSUE BASED QUESTIONS, AS OUTLINED IN  SUBDIVISION
 ONE  OF THIS SECTION, RECEIVED FROM EACH CANDIDATE FOR WHOM THE RECEIVER
 OF THIS MAILING CAN VOTE FOR IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION. THE  BOARD  SHALL
 ALSO  MAIL AT LEAST ONE PHYSICAL COPY OF THE VOTING GUIDE TO EACH HOUSE-
 HOLD WITH A REGISTERED VOTER IN THE STATE. IN THE EVENT THE STATE  BOARD
 OF  ELECTIONS  DETERMINES THAT DISTRIBUTION OF THE VOTING GUIDE WOULD BE
 MORE EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL IF DONE BY THE LOCAL BOARDS OF  ELECTIONS,
 THE STATE BOARD IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO INSTRUCT ALL BOARDS OF ELECTIONS
 TO  DISTRIBUTE THE VOTING GUIDE TO AT LEAST ONE REGISTERED VOTER IN EACH
 HOUSEHOLD. SHOULD THE STATE BOARD SO INSTRUCT THE BOARDS  OF  ELECTIONS,
 IT  SHALL  PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF VOTING GUIDES TO EACH BOARD OF
 ELECTIONS AND SHALL PROMPTLY REIMBURSE EACH BOARD FOR THE ACTUAL COST OF
 POSTAGE INCURRED  BY  SAID  BOARD  IN  DISTRIBUTING  THE  VOTING  GUIDES
 PROVIDED  THAT  SAID  BOARD  UTILIZE  THE  LOWEST  FEASIBLE POSTAGE RATE
 CHARGED BY THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE.  THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE
 VOTING  GUIDES TO REGISTERED VOTERS OR HOUSEHOLDS SHALL BE MADE AT LEAST
 THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION TO WHICH THEY PERTAIN.
   6. THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL MAINTAIN  A  WEBSITE  WHERE  ALL
 VOTER  GUIDE  INFORMATION  IS  MAINTAINED, UPDATED AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE
 GENERAL PUBLIC.
   § 8-802. POSTCARDS. FOR EACH PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION,  THE  STATE
 BOARD  OF ELECTIONS SHALL EMAIL, IF A REGISTERED VOTER'S EMAIL IS AVAIL-
 ABLE TO THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, A POSTCARD WHICH CONTAINS INFORMA-
 TION FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION THAT CONTAINS THE DATE OF  THE  ELECTION.
 THE BOARD SHALL ALSO MAIL AT LEAST TWO PHYSICAL POSTCARDS TO EACH HOUSE-
 HOLD  WITH  A  REGISTERED  VOTER  IN THE STATE. THE BOARD SHALL SEND THE
 POSTCARDS TWICE BEFORE THE ELECTION WITH THE FIRST MAILING TO BE MADE NO
 EARLIER THAN FIFTEEN DAYS AND NO  LATER  THAN  TEN  DAYS  PRIOR  TO  THE
 ELECTION;  AND  WITH THE SECOND MAILING TO BE MADE NO EARLIER THAN SEVEN
 DAYS AND NO LATER THAN FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
   § 8-804. TELEVISION AND RADIO. FOR TEN CONSECUTIVE  DAYS  BEFORE  EACH
 PRIMARY  AND  GENERAL  ELECTION, ALL MAJOR TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS
 USING PUBLIC AIRWAVES OR DOING BUSINESS WITHIN THE  STATE  SHALL  INFORM
 THEIR  AUDIENCE  AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EACH DAY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF SEVEN
 A.M. AND ELEVEN P.M. OF THE UPCOMING ELECTION. EACH OF THE FOUR REQUIRED
 NOTIFICATIONS SHALL AIR AT LEAST THREE HOURS APART.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.