Requires the board of elections to provide Russian interpreters at certain polling locations in cities having a population in excess of one million people.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5738
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 28, 2025
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Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- 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 requiring the board of
elections to provide Russian interpreters to certain polling locations
in cities having a population in excess of one million people
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 5-216 of the election law is
2 amended to read as follows:
3 2. a. If the applicant be a person who does not speak the English
4 language, [he] the applicant may be assisted by a relative who can
5 interpret for [him] the applicant. If the applicant registers with this
6 assistance the board shall put in the remarks space of the registration
7 forms the name and address, and the relationship, of the person so doing
8 the interpreting and the interpreter shall sign [his] the interpreter's
9 name in the remarks space.
10 b. In any city having a population of one million or more people,
11 which contains any county that has a population comprised of five
12 percent or more of people whose first language is Russian within such
13 county, the board of elections shall provide Russian interpreters at
14 polling locations in those election districts within each such county in
15 the city having a population comprised of five percent or more people
16 whose first language is Russian.
17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all
18 elections conducted on or after such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03891-01-5
