STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11615
IN ASSEMBLY
July 29, 2026
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Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Jacobson) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to the validity of ballots
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 9-112 of the election law, as
2 amended by chapter 334 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. The whole ballot is void if the voter (a) does any act extrinsic to
5 the ballot such as enclosing any paper or other article in the folded
6 ballot or (b) defaces [or tears] the ballot except that a ballot card
7 which is in perforated sections shall not be void because it has been
8 separated into sections or (c) makes any erasure thereon or (d) makes
9 any mark thereon other than a cross X mark or a check V mark in a voting
10 square, or filling in the voting square, or (e) writes, other than in
11 the space provided, a name for the purpose of voting; except that an
12 erasure or a mark other than a valid mark made in a voting square shall
13 not make the ballot void, but shall render it blank as to the office,
14 party position or ballot proposal in connection with which it is made.
15 No ballot shall be declared void or partially blank because a mark ther-
16 eon is irregular in form. The term "voting square" shall include the
17 voting space provided for a voter to mark [his or her] their vote for a
18 candidate or ballot proposal.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15487-01-6
