Establishes an electronic military ballot application and military ballot transmittal system through which applicants may apply for a military ballot and return a marked military ballot, online.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1143
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER, HAWLEY, BRABENEC, DeSTEFANO, STERN,
MANKTELOW, SIMON, STIRPE, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, TAPIA, HUNTER, CRUZ, MAGNAR-
ELLI, McDONOUGH, WALSH, ANGELINO, MILLER, SAYEGH, RAMOS, LEMONDES,
SEAWRIGHT, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. TAGUE, ZINERMAN --
read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to establishing an elec-
tronic military ballot application and military ballot transmittal
system
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 10-110
2 to read as follows:
3 § 10-110. Military voters; electronic military ballot application and
4 military ballot transmittal system. 1. In addition to any other means of
5 application for a military ballot and return of a marked military ballot
6 provided for by this chapter, the state board of elections shall estab-
7 lish and maintain an electronic military ballot application and military
8 ballot transmittal system through which applicants may apply for a mili-
9 tary ballot and return a marked military ballot, online. The state board
10 of elections shall electronically transmit such applications and marked
11 ballots to the applicable board of elections of each county or the city
12 of New York for filing, processing and verification consistent with this
13 chapter. In accordance with technical specifications provided by the
14 state board of elections, each board of elections shall maintain a
15 system capable of receiving and processing military ballot application
16 and marked military ballot information, including digital signatures,
17 from the electronic voter registration transmittal system established by
18 the state board of elections. Notwithstanding any other inconsistent
19 provision of this chapter, applications and ballots filed using such
20 system shall be considered filed with the applicable board of elections
21 on the calendar date such application or ballot is initially transmitted
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01975-01-5
A. 1143 2
1 by the voter through the electronic military ballot application and
2 military ballot transmittal system.
3 2. As used in this article, the term "digital signature" shall mean
4 the certificate-based digital identification code issued to qualified
5 personnel by the United States department of defense as part of the
6 common access card or its successor.
7 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 10-107 of the election law, as added by
8 chapter 104 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
9 2. Irrespective of the preferred method of transmission designated by
10 a military voter, a military voter's original completed voter registra-
11 tion application, military ballot application and military ballot must
12 be returned by mail, the electronic military ballot application and
13 military ballot transmittal system established pursuant to section
14 10-110 of this article or in person notwithstanding that a prior copy
15 was sent to the board of elections by facsimile transmission or elec-
16 tronic mail.
17 § 3. Section 10-112 of the election law, as amended by chapter 104 of
18 the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
19 § 10-112. Military voter; voting. The military voter shall either:
20 1. mark the military ballot provided for in this article in the same
21 manner as an absentee ballot. After marking the ballot, [he or she] such
22 military voter shall fold such ballot and enclose it in the inner affir-
23 mation envelope bearing the military voter's affirmation on the outside
24 of the envelope and seal the envelope. [He or she] Such military voter
25 shall then sign the affirmation, with the blanks properly filled in. The
26 inner affirmation envelope containing the military ballot shall then be
27 inserted in the outer envelope addressed to the appropriate board of
28 elections, which shall be mailed or personally delivered to such board
29 of elections of [his or her] their county of residence within the time
30 limits provided by this chapter; or
31 2. utilize the electronic military ballot application and military
32 ballot transmittal system established pursuant to section 10-110 of this
33 article to mark, sign with such military voter's digital signature and
34 return the military ballot provided for in this article.
35 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
