Relates to absentee voting in nursing homes and senior citizen residences; requires board of inspectors to deliver and help complete applications for absentee ballots to residents of such facilities.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1551
SPONSOR: Weprin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting in
nursing homes and senior citizen residences
PURPOSE:
To increase voting by senior citizens and other residents of nursing
homes and senior citizen residences who are unable to go to the polls by
assisting them in applying for absentee ballots, delivering such ballots
to them, and assisting them in completing and casting the ballot.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends election law section 8-407(5) to provide that when a
board of inspectors is provided by the board of elections with absentee
ballots for delivery to residents of nursing homes, resklential health
care and similar facilities, the board of elections shall also provide
them with a supply of absentee ballot applications, as well as appropri-
ate absentee ballots and envelopes. It also adds a new subdivision 10-a
to provide that the board of inspectors shall deliver an absentee ballot
application to any resident of such a facility for whom it does not have
an absentee ballot, who requests such an application. It further
provides that the board of inspectors shall assist any resident request-
ing help in completing the application, and, upon receiving the
completed application, the board is required to deliver an absentee
ballot and envelope to the resident.
Section 2: The bill is effective on the thirtieth day after it becomes a
law.
JUSTIFICATION:
Election law section 8-407 already establishes a process for the board
of elections to send out bipartisan teams of inspectors to nursing homes
and residential care facilities to conduct absentee balloting for people
there who are unable to get to their poll sites on election day. By
providing that when a board of inspectors goes to such a facility to
deliver requested absentee ballots it shall carry applications and addi-
tional ballots, and that it shall help those who want to vote, this
provision makes it possible for more of those residents who want to vote
to do so. This legislation has been requested by the New York City Board
of Elections in its 2009 and 2010 legislative proposals. absentee voting
in nursing homes and senior citizen residences
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
02/09/17 referred to election law
01/03/18 referred to election law
FISCAL IMPLICATION:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:;
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it becomes a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1551
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to absentee voting in
nursing homes and senior citizen residences
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 5 of section 8-407 of the election law, as
2 added by chapter 296 of the laws of 1988, is amended and a new subdivi-
3 sion 10-a is added to read as follows:
4 5. The board of elections shall deliver to each board of inspectors
5 all the absentee ballots in the custody of such board of elections which
6 are addressed to residents of the facilities which such board of inspec-
7 tors is assigned to attend, together with an additional supply of the
8 appropriate absentee ballots for the election district in which the
9 facility is located, absentee ballot envelopes, applications for absen-
10 tee ballots, one or more portable voting booths of a type approved by
11 the state board of elections and such other supplies as such board of
12 inspectors will require to discharge its duties properly.
13 10-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 8-402 of this title,
14 the board of inspectors shall deliver an application for an absentee
15 ballot to any resident of such facility for whom it does not have an
16 absentee ballot and who requests such an application. The board of
17 inspectors shall assist any such resident who requests assistance to
18 complete such application. Upon receiving a completed application from
19 any resident who is registered to vote at the facility, the board of
20 inspectors shall forthwith deliver an absentee ballot and ballot envel-
21 ope to such voter in the manner prescribed by this section. With
22 respect to the application of any resident of the facility who is regis-
23 tered to vote from an election district other than the one in which the
24 facility is located, the board of inspectors, if it does not have a
25 supply of the appropriate ballot, shall forthwith obtain the appropriate
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03710-01-5
A. 1551 2
1 ballot from the board of elections and deliver such ballot and envelope
2 to such voter in the manner prescribed by this section.
3 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
4 have become a law.
