Addabbo’s Election Law Bills Signed in Law by Governor

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Chairman of the New York State

Senate Elections Committee, announced that two Election Law bills he has introduced

in the Senate have been signed in law by Governor David A. Paterson.

Senate Bill S5448 provides that all ballots printed for use on a voting system

approved by the state board of elections may be printed and arranged in a manner

which would permit them to be counted by such machine; ensures ballots can be

configured in a manner that will allow scanners to sufficiently and adequately discern

votes cast by voters and eliminates outdated ballot layout provisions.

The bill permits ballots for use in voting systems approved by the

State Board of Elections to be printed and arranged in a manner that

would permit them to be counted on such system. It also repeals

Election Law section 8-310 to eliminate the antiquated processes

therein, and amends Election Law section 8-312 to allow the State

Board to promulgate rules and regulations for the manner of delivery

of paper ballots to the voter.

The Law amends Election Law section 7-121 to provide that all

ballots printed for use on a voting system approved by the State Board

of Elections may be printed and arranged in a manner which would

permit them to be counted by such machine and repeals Election Law section 8-310,

which pertains to the manner of delivery of paper ballots to voters.

The Law also amends Election Law section 8-312 to add a new subdivision

6, which authorizes the state board of elections to adopt rules and

regulations for the manner of delivery of paper ballots to the voter.

The Law takes effect immediately.

Addabbo said that although New York's full face ballot requirements remain

intact, with the implementation of optical scan voting systems in poll sites the

information on ballots must be configured in a manner that will allow

scanners to sufficiently and adequately discern votes cast by the

voters.

Ballot information includes instructions to voters, a variety of

shapes for voting positions, candidates names, party endorsements,

office titles, ballot proposals, party emblems, "vote for:"

information, terms of office and other similar information.

“The processes found in Election Law section 8-310 are outdated and no

longer serve the needs of elections administrators and election day

workers,” said Addabbo.

Amending section 8-312 by adding a new subdivision 6 authorizes the

State Board of Elections to promulgate and modify regulations as

necessary as new voting systems are deployed throughout the state.

This will ensure common practices across the State, including with

respect to ballot accountability, security and chain of custody.