Provides voting materials in French and Creole; requires translators in French and Creole in the city of New York at polling places in subdivisions where more than five percent of the citizens of voting age speak the language of French and/or Creole and are limited-English proficient.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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7469
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 24, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CHANDLER-WATERMAN -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to providing voting mate-
rials and translators in French and Creole in the city of New York
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Haitian-
2 American Informed Voter Act".
3 § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-508 to read
4 as follows:
5 § 3-508. Boards of elections; voting materials in French and Creole. A
6 board of elections in a city of over one million shall provide the same
7 information in French and Creole that it provides in languages other
8 than English on its website. It shall also produce and disseminate city-
9 wide a booklet that includes: (a) a voter registration form in English
10 with instructions in French and Creole; (b) instructions regarding the
11 criteria and application process for obtaining an absentee ballot; and
12 (c) a section with general information including frequently asked ques-
13 tions. Such board may include other languages on its website and in such
14 booklet.
15 § 3. Section 8-104 of the election law is amended by adding a new
16 subdivision 8 to read as follows:
17 8. In the city of New York, during days of primary, general and
18 special elections, at each premises wherein a polling place or places
19 are located in a political subdivision of the state where more than five
20 percent of the citizens of voting age of such political subdivision
21 speak the language of French and/or Creole and are limited-English
22 proficient, at least one French-English language and/or Creole-English
23 translator designated by such city shall be assigned for duty from the
24 opening until the closing of the polls.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11272-01-3
A. 7469 2
1 § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
2 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
3 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
4 this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
5 and completed on or before such effective date.
