NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A34
SPONSOR: Sayegh TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to designating state and
city university campuses as early voting sites and polling sites
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Relates to designating state and city university campuses as early
voting sites and polling sites.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Section 4-104 of the election law is amended by adding
a new subdivision 5-a requiring that a campus which is operated by the
State University of New York or the City University of New York and has
an on-campus dormitory have a polling place designated for registrants
on the campus.
Section 2 adds Section 8-604 of the election law requiring that early
voting be made available on a campus which is operated by the State
University of New York or the City University of New York.
Section 3 sets the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
N/A
JUSTIFICATION:
New York's public university systems are unique in their size and stat-
ure. In Fall 2021, there were a total of 326,010 undergraduate students
on State University of New York campuses and an estimated 243,000 under-
graduates on City University of New York campuses. Many of these
students live on their respective campuses and choose to register as
voters in the community they expect to be a part of for a significant
period of their lives. However, many campuses are in areas of our state
that are restricted geographically. This makes it very difficult for
registrants who live on-campus to access polling places in off-campus
areas in which they are not completely familiarized. In addition, it
remains difficult for students who don't have vehicles on campus to
exercise their right to vote in the absence of robust public transporta-
tion systems statewide. This legislation would ensure that students
across New York State can exercise one of our most sacred rights, the
right to vote, regardless of where they choose to attend school.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20: A8783-Referred to Election Law
2021-22: A4179-Referred to Election Law
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be decided.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
34
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 4, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SAYEGH, THIELE -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to designating state and
city university campuses as early voting sites and polling sites
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 4-104 of the election law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 5-b to read as follows:
3 5-b. Whenever a campus which is operated by the state university of
4 New York or the city university of New York and has an on campus dormi-
5 tory, a polling place designated for registrants on such campus shall be
6 at a location approved by such college or university.
7 § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 8-604 to read
8 as follows:
9 § 8-604. Early voting on state and city university campuses. Each
10 campus which is operated by the state university of New York or the city
11 university of New York and which has an on campus dormitory shall have
12 an early voting site on such campus.
13 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01767-01-3
