STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1098
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the town law, in relation to requiring polls for special
town elections to open on otherwise scheduled general election days
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 82 of the town law, as amended by chapter 420 of
2 the laws of 1963, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 82. Notice of submission of proposition; hours of voting. The town
4 board shall adopt a resolution at least twenty days before every special
5 town election designating the hours of opening and closing the polls and
6 the place or places of holding the election, and setting forth in full
7 all propositions to be voted upon. If the town board shall designate
8 more than one voting place, the resolution and the notice hereinafter
9 provided for shall specify the place at which the qualified voters of
10 each election district shall vote. The polls shall be open on an other-
11 wise scheduled general election day, designated as such by the state
12 board of elections, and, if no other election is occurring on such date,
13 shall remain open for at least six consecutive hours between eight
14 o'clock in the forenoon and eight o'clock in the evening. The voting
15 upon a proposition shall be by ballot and each proposition submitted
16 shall be separately stated and numbered thereon. The town clerk shall
17 give notice of such special town election at the expense of the town by
18 the publication of a notice in a newspaper published in said town, if
19 there be any, or, if there be none, in a newspaper published in the
20 county having general circulation in the town, specifying the time when
21 and place or places where such election will be held, the hours during
22 which the polls will remain open for the purpose of receiving ballots,
23 and setting forth in full all propositions to be voted upon. The first
24 publication of such notice shall be at least ten days prior to the time
25 of such special election. In addition, the town clerk shall post or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03610-01-5
S. 1098 2
1 cause to be posted a copy of such notice on the sign-board of the town
2 maintained pursuant to subdivision six of section thirty of this chapter
3 at least ten days prior to such election. In the event that any such
4 questions or propositions shall be submitted at a biennial town
5 election, notice that the same will be submitted setting them forth in
6 full shall be published and posted in the manner above provided for
7 special town elections.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
