NY State Senate Bill 2023-S1307

Current 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 03, 2024	referred to elections
Jan 11, 2023	referred to elections

co-Sponsors

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2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Elections
Law Section:: Election Law
Laws Affected:: Add §8-416, El L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S1028

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the boards of elections to provide a secure website or web portal through which voters can track their absentee application or absentee ballot.

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1307

SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to absentee ballot track-
ing

 
PURPOSE:

Require the State Board of Elections to provide a secure website through
which all New Yorkers can clearly and transparently track their own
absentee ballot every step of the process from the moment the original
request is received, approved, mailed or delivered to the voter,
received a completed ballot back, opportunities to cure and the actual
counting of the vote.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill amends election law by adding a new section 8-414 relating to
The State Board of Elections setting up and maintaining a robust and
meaningful absentee ballot tracking website where voters can track their

own information and the required details to be available through that
website.

Furthermore, this bill requires necessary data transmission from Local
Boards of Election to the State Board to carry out the mission of this
bill.

In addition, the legislation makes clear that the tracking information
shall be available only for individuals voters to track their own infor-
mation.

County Board of Elections and the NYC Board of Elections are permitted
to establish absentee ballot tracking systems of their own accord, if
desired.

Lastly, the effective date is provided for-the first of January next
succeeding enactment-and allows the State Board to implement necessary
rules and regulations immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The very means and nature of voting is rapidly changing in New York and
across the nation. Absentee, Early and Full Fledged Vote By Mail are
becoming the predominate norm, not the exception. As such, it is makes
total sense that the State Board Of Elections should maintain a dynamic,
transparent, and user-friendly website where voters may track their
ballot every step of the way- from the moment the original request is
received, approved, mailed or delivered to the voter, received a
completed ballot back, opportunities to cure and the actual counting of
the vote. Our democracy demands this important level of accountability
and certainty that the franchise is executed properly.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S1028- Passed Senate in '21

2017-18: S.5184 J Referred to Elections
2019-20: S.2768/A.10724 (Dinowitz) - Referred to Elections

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None Noted.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
First of January next succeeding enactment.

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1307
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  COMRIE,  BAILEY, BRESLIN, BROUK, COONEY, HINCHEY,
   HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KENNEDY,  MANNION,  PARKER,  SANDERS  --  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 absentee ballot  track-
   ing

   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  8-416
 to read as follows:
   §  8-416.  ABSENTEE  BALLOT TRACKING. 1.  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
 SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN  AN  ELECTRONIC  ABSENTEE  BALLOT  TRACKING
 SYSTEM BY WAY OF A SECURE WEBSITE OR WEB PORTAL THROUGH WHICH ANY REGIS-
 TERED  VOTER IN THE STATE WHO HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR AN ABSEN-
 TEE BALLOT, OR WHO OTHERWISE HAS A RIGHT TO RECEIVE AN ABSENTEE  BALLOT,
 FOR  AN  UPCOMING ELECTION PURSUANT TO THIS CHAPTER MAY VIEW THE CURRENT
 STATUS OF THEIR ABSENTEE APPLICATION OR ABSENTEE  BALLOT.  SUCH  WEBSITE
 SHALL  NOT  REQUIRE USERS TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT. SUCH WEBSITE SHALL INDI-
 CATE FOR EACH SUCH VOTER WHETHER THE VOTER'S BOARD OF ELECTIONS HAS:
   A. RECEIVED SUCH VOTER'S REQUEST FOR AN ABSENTEE BALLOT,  IF  APPLICA-
 BLE;
   B. APPROVED OR REJECTED SUCH REQUEST, IF APPLICABLE, AND, IF REJECTED,
 A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR REJECTION;
   C.  MAILED  OR  DELIVERED  AN  ABSENTEE  BALLOT TO SUCH VOTER FOR SUCH
 UPCOMING ELECTION;
   D. RECEIVED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR  SUCH  UPCOMING
 ELECTION;
   E. COUNTED OR REJECTED SUCH VOTER'S COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT FOR SUCH
 UPCOMING ELECTION, AND, IF REJECTED, A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE REASON FOR
 REJECTION; AND

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03308-01-3
 S. 1307                             2

 
   F.  DETERMINED  THAT THE BALLOT ENVELOPE IS SUBJECT TO A CURE PURSUANT
 TO SUBDIVISIONS THREE AND THREE-A OF SECTION 9-209 OF THIS CHAPTER,  THE
 DEADLINE  TO  SUBMIT  THE  CURE, AND HOW TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE
 CURE FROM THE APPLICABLE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, IF APPLICABLE.
   2.  EACH  COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS SHALL TRANSMIT ELECTRONICALLY IN A
 FORMAT AND TIMEFRAME TO BE DETERMINED BY THE STATE BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS,
 THE  DATA  REQUIRED  BY  THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO BE FURNISHED TO
 EFFECTUATE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
   3. THE ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING WEBSITE OR PORTAL PROVIDED FOR BY THIS
 SECTION SHALL BE USED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO A VOTER SEEKING INFORMA-
 TION ABOUT THE VOTER'S OWN BALLOT AND SHALL NOT BE USED TO PROVIDE  SUCH
 INFORMATION TO OTHERS.
   4.  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION OF THIS SECTION, ANY COUNTY
 BOARD OF ELECTIONS OR THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK MAY
 ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN AN ELECTRONIC ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING SYSTEM  BY
 WAY OF A SECURE WEBSITE OR WEB PORTAL FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICANTS WHO
 ARE RESIDENTS OF THE RESPECTIVE COUNTY OR CITY OF NEW YORK.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.  Effective  immediate-
 ly, the state board of elections shall be authorized to implement neces-
 sary  rules and regulations and to take steps required to implement this
 act; and the county boards of elections or the board  of  elections  for
 the  city  of New York may establish and maintain an electronic absentee
 ballot tracking system pursuant to section one of this act.

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Senate Bill S1307

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

co-Sponsors

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S1307

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Elections Committee

co-Sponsors

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S1307 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments