Enacts the voter registration integrity act; requires a birth certificate, passport, certificate of naturalization or citizenship, evidence of New York state residency, or any other documentation that the board of elections determines establishes United States citizenship.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1960
SPONSOR: Goodell TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to enacting the "voter
registration integrity act"
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that newly registered
voters are citizens of the United States.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 names the bill the "voter registration integrity act."
Section 2 amends section 5-210 of the election law by requiring first-
time voter registration applications to include a birth certificate
establishing U.S. citizenship, a valid U.S. passport, a certificate of
naturalization or citizenship, or such other documentation that the
state board of elections determines establishes U.S. citizenship.
Section 3 amends section 5-210 of the election to include documentation
of U.S. citizenship.
Section 4 provides that this bill would become effective 60 days after
it becomes law.
JUSTIFICATION:
Fundamental to a valid democracy is that those who run the country as
elected officials are elected by those who are citizens of the country.
Otherwise, those who are illegally in the country or are not citizens
would be able to help elect federal, state, and local public officials,
whose loyalty to the citizens of the country might be compromised.
New York State currently does not require any documentary evidence of
U.S. citizenship for new voter registrations. The boards of election
require applicants for voter registration to provide a driver's license
number or the last four digits of their social security number, but
neither number proves U.S. citizenship because driver's licenses will
now be issued to illegal immigrants and social security numbers are
available to noncitizen immigrants who are in the United States with a
temporary work visa or noncitizen permanent residents with a "green
card."
This legislation will correct this glaring weakness in the New York
voter registration process by requiring documentation of
U.S.citizenship. These documentation requirements are not difficult or
onerous and are similar to the documentation requirements that applied
to new driver license applications that apply to lawful residents.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.8625 2019/2020 - Held for consideration in Election Law
A.4901 2021/2022 - Held for consideration in Election Law
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The board of elections will incur additional staff and computer expense
to ensure that appropriate documents are submitted as part of the voter
registration process.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect 60 days after it becomes law, although the
state board of elections could immediately begin adopting necessary
rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1960
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 23, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to enacting the "voter
registration integrity act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "voter registration integrity act".
3 § 2. Section 5-210 of the election law is amended by adding a new
4 subdivision 5-a to read as follows:
5 5-a. In addition to documentation of New York residency, the board of
6 elections shall require that each first-time voter registration applica-
7 tion include one of the following:
8 (a) an original or certified copy of a birth certificate establishing
9 United States citizenship;
10 (b) a valid United States passport;
11 (c) a certificate of naturalization or citizenship; or
12 (d) such other documentation that the board of elections determines
13 establishes United States citizenship.
14 § 3. Clause (D) of subparagraph (viii) of paragraph (k) of subdivision
15 5 of section 5-210 of the election law, as amended by chapter 536 of the
16 laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
17 (D) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government
18 check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and
19 address of the voter; and
20 (E) in addition to documentation of New York residency, a copy of one
21 of the following:
22 (1) an original or certified copy of a birth certificate establishing
23 United States citizenship;
24 (2) a valid United States passport;
25 (3) a certificate of naturalization or citizenship; or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01993-01-3
A. 1960 2
1 (4) such other documentation that the board of elections determines
2 establishes United States citizenship.
3 § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
4 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
5 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
6 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
7 on or before such effective date.
