NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1346REVISED 1/24/23
SPONSOR: Simon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to furnishing money or
entertainment to induce attendance at polls
PURPOSE:
To amend the election law to allow items of nominal value to be distrib-
uted To voters at polling places
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. amends the election law, as amended by chapter 414 of the
laws of 1992, to allow items with nominal value such as water or snacks
to be distributed to voters at polling places distributed as well as
allowing those distributions on lines outside polling locations.
Section 2 provides for the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
In New York State, despite continued progress on making our elections
more accessible, certain polling locations continue to have massive
lines. Leaving those lines for a simple glass of water can forfeit a
voter's position, which is often not an option for individuals taking
time off from work. Voting should not be an endurance test and allowing
organizations to provide nominal refreshments will help protect their
franchise until voting is no longer a burden.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22 A.9477 Simon -referred to election law
2019-20 New Bill Simon
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1346
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, STIRPE, EPSTEIN, DAVILA -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to furnishing money or
entertainment to induce attendance at polls
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 17-140 of the election law, as amended by chapter
2 414 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 17-140. Furnishing money or entertainment to induce attendance at
4 polls. Any person who directly or indirectly by himself or herself or
5 through any other person in connection with or in respect of any
6 election during the hours of voting on a day of a general, special or
7 primary election gives or provides, or causes to be given or provided,
8 or shall pay, wholly or in part, for any meat, drink, tobacco[, refresh-
9 ment] or provision to or for any person, other than persons who are
10 official representatives of the board of elections or political parties
11 and committees and persons who are engaged as watchers, party represen-
12 tatives or workers assisting the candidate, except any such [meat,
13 drink, tobacco, refreshment or provision] item having [a retail value of
14 less than one dollar,] a nominal value, including but not limited to,
15 snacks, water, soft drinks, or other refreshments which [is] are given
16 or provided to any person in a polling place or in line to vote at a
17 polling place without any identification of the person or entity supply-
18 ing such provisions, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03151-01-3
