Provides that qualified persons who have never previously registered to vote in this state may apply personally for registration by appearing at the appropriate polling place for the election district in which such person resides on the day such polling place is open for voting; requires establishment of a procedure to enable such registrants to cast their votes at the appropriate polling places.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
170
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 4, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sens. GIANARIS, HOYLMAN, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
Elections
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to allowing for polling
place voter registration for any qualified person who is not regis-
tered to vote
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 5-210 of the election law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
3 1-a. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article relating
4 to registration requirements, any qualified person who is not registered
5 in this state may apply personally for registration and enrollment by
6 appearing at the appropriate polling place for the election district in
7 which he or she resides on the day of any primary, general or special
8 election during the hours that such polling place is open for voting, or
9 at any polling place for early voting established pursuant to section
10 8-600 of this chapter in the county where he or she resides during the
11 hours that such polling place is open for early voting. To be eligible
12 to register pursuant to this subdivision, a person must provide accepta-
13 ble forms of identification containing proof of residence, as determined
14 by state law implementing the Help Americans Vote Act of 2002 (Public
15 Law 107-252). Any person who so registers to vote shall execute the
16 following instrument in substantially the following form:
17 "I, (name), do hereby certify, under penalty of perjury, that, to the
18 best of my knowledge, I am a qualified voter, having resided at (place
19 of residence) for at least thirty days immediately preceding this
20 election, that I am not disqualified on any legal grounds from voting
21 and that I have not already voted at this election."
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01878-01-3
S. 170 2
1 (b) If a registrant is unable to provide valid proof of residence as
2 required by paragraph (a) of this subdivision, such registrant may be
3 allowed to register for and vote in any election by affidavit ballot.
4 Such affidavit ballot shall not be counted until election officials can
5 determine such registrant's residence and eligibility to vote.
6 (c) The board of elections shall establish a procedure by which a
7 person who registers pursuant to this subdivision may cast his or her
8 vote at the appropriate polling place.
9 § 2. This act shall take effect the first of January next succeeding
10 the date on which it shall have become a law.