S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   220

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BUCHWALD, GOTTFRIED, MOSLEY, PEOPLES-STOKES,
  RIVERA, ROBINSON, GALEF -- Multi-Sponsored by  --  M.  of  A.  ABBATE,
  BRENNAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law

AN  ACT  to amend the election law, in relation to amending the required
  time to commence counting of absentee ballots

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision 1 of section 9-209 of the
election law, as amended by chapter 104 of the laws of 2010, is  amended
to read as follows:
  (a)  The  board  of  elections  shall  designate itself or such of its
employees as it shall deem appropriate as a set of poll clerks  to  cast
and canvass such ballots, and fix a time and place for their meeting for
such  purpose, provided that such meeting shall be no more than fourteen
days after a general or special election and no  more  than  eight  days
after  a  primary election at which such ballots are voted. THE BOARD OF
ELECTIONS SHALL COMMENCE CANVASSING SUCH BALLOTS (I) THAT  ARE  RECEIVED
ON  OR BEFORE THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON THE DAY PRECEDING ELECTION DAY BY
NO LATER THAN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS AFTER THE CLOSE OF POLLS ON ELECTION DAY
AND (II) THAT ARE RECEIVED ON ELECTION  DAY  OR  WITHIN  SEVEN  DAYS  OF
ELECTION  DAY  IN  THE  CASE  OF  A PRIMARY ELECTION OR THIRTEEN DAYS OF
ELECTION DAY IN THE CASE OF A GENERAL OR SPECIAL ELECTION BY  THE  CLOSE
OF  BUSINESS  ON  THE EIGHTH DAY FOLLOWING ELECTION DAY IN THE CASE OF A
PRIMARY ELECTION OR THE FOURTEENTH DAY IN  THE  CASE  OF  A  GENERAL  OR
SPECIAL  ELECTION  OR  ON THE FIRST BUSINESS DAY THEREAFTER IN THE EVENT
THAT THE EIGHTH DAY OR THE FOURTEENTH DAY, AS APPLICABLE, AFTER ELECTION
DAY IS A WEEKEND DAY OR A HOLIDAY. The board  may  designate  additional
sets  of  poll  clerks and if it designates more than one such set shall
apportion among all such sets the election  districts  from  which  such
ballots have been received, provided that all such ballots from a single

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD00081-01-5

A. 220                              2

election  district shall be assigned to a single set of clerks, and that
each such set shall be divided equally between  representatives  of  the
two  major  political parties. Each such set of clerks shall be deemed a
central board of inspectors for purposes of this section.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.