STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7783
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 21, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, JACOBSON, WALKER, GALEF --
read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT relating to permitting video-conferencing of, and proxy voting
at, political party meetings, conventions and caucuses; and providing
for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law or a party committee's
2 rules to the contrary:
3 (a) any party caucus, party meeting or party convention held pursuant
4 to the election law in the year 2021 may be held by means of video
5 conferencing in whole or in part, at the discretion of the chairperson
6 calling such meeting; provided, however, that any required notice shall
7 include instructions to participants as to how to access such video
8 conference;
9 (b) proxy voting at any party caucus, party meeting or party conven-
10 tion held pursuant to the election law in the year 2021 shall be permit-
11 ted. Except where a greater number is permitted by a party committee's
12 rules, any person eligible to attend and vote at such a caucus, meeting
13 or convention may hold up to ten proxies or a number of proxies equaling
14 the number of members or delegates contained in the member's or deleg-
15 ate's assembly district, whichever is less. A proxy statement may be in
16 the form prescribed by the party committee's rules or as accepted in the
17 past by the party entity or may be substantially as follows: "I, a
18 member or eligible voter of (insert party caucus, party meeting or party
19 convention), do hereby give my proxy authorization to (insert name of
20 proxy holder) who shall be authorized to vote in my stead at the (insert
21 party caucus, party meeting or party convention) to be held on (insert
22 date) and any adjourned date thereof." Any proxy granted hereunder shall
23 be revocable in a writing provided to the secretary or chair of the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11583-02-1
A. 7783 2
1 party entity or by the attendance of the proxy grantor at the caucus,
2 meeting or convention stated; and
3 (c) a delegate to a judicial convention may give his or her proxy to
4 any delegate or alternate delegate in the same judicial district.
5 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
6 deemed repealed December 31, 2021.