STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11642
IN ASSEMBLY
July 29, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Steck) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to prohibiting unlawful
seizure of ballots
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 17-153
2 to read as follows:
3 § 17-153. Unlawful seizure of ballots. 1. For the purposes of this
4 section, the term "lawfully cast ballot" shall mean any form of ballot
5 that has been marked by an eligible voter and deposited or submitted
6 through a legally accepted mechanism.
7 2. Any person or persons who has engaged in the following conduct is
8 guilty of unlawfully seizing a ballot: seizure, confiscation, removal,
9 or taking possession of one or more lawfully cast ballots.
10 3. This section shall not apply to:
11 (a) any person, persons, or entities operating with the approval of
12 both commissioners of the county board of elections; or
13 (b) law enforcement officers acting pursuant to a lawfully issued
14 court order.
15 4. Any person found in violation of this section shall be guilty of a
16 class E felony.
17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16191-01-6
