Provides that qualified persons who have never previously registered to vote may register on any day, including a day of election, that the board of elections is open for business; requires establishment of a procedure to enable such registrants to cast their votes at the appropriate polling places.

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S1972A-2011 Actions

• Jan 5, 2012: PRINT NUMBER 1972A
• Jan 5, 2012: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO ELECTIONS
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
• Jan 14, 2011: REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

S1972A-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1972A

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the election law, in relation to allowing for polling place
voter
registration for any qualified person who is not registered to vote

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 5-210 of election law is amended by adding a new subdivision
1-a which enables qualified persons to register to vote.

JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation seeks to set parameters and guidelines fix Election
Day voter registration. Allowing for persons eligible to vote to
register to vote up until and on Election Day has increased voter
turnout in the six states (Idaho, Maine, Minnesota. New Hampshire.
Wisconsin and Wyoming). On average, turnout was 14% higher in EDR
states than across the country in the 2004 election cycle. New York
consistently ranks near the bottom in voter turnout in the country.
It is imperative that state take every action necessary to allow
eligible voters the involved in elections until the very last moment
when often it is too late to register to vote. This must be changed,
voters should have the ability to register and vote Election Day.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This shall take effect January 1, 2013.

S1972A-2011 Text

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

                                   1972--A

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 14, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections  --  recommitted
    to the Committee on Elections in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8
    --  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
    and recommitted to said committee

  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:


    Section  1.  Section  5-210 of the election law is amended by adding a
  new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:

    1-A. (A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THIS ARTICLE  RELATING
  TO REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, ANY QUALIFIED PERSON WHO IS NOT REGISTERED
  IN  THIS  STATE  MAY APPLY PERSONALLY FOR REGISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT BY
  APPEARING AT THE APPROPRIATE POLLING PLACE FOR THE ELECTION DISTRICT  IN
  WHICH  HE  OR  SHE RESIDES ON THE DAY OF ANY PRIMARY, GENERAL OR SPECIAL
  ELECTION DURING THE HOURS THAT SUCH POLLING PLACE IS OPEN FOR VOTING. TO
  BE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER PURSUANT TO  THIS  SUBDIVISION,  A  PERSON  MUST
  PROVIDE  ACCEPTABLE  FORMS  OF  IDENTIFICATION CONTAINING PROOF OF RESI-
  DENCE, AS DETERMINED BY STATE LAW IMPLEMENTING THE HELP  AMERICANS  VOTE
  ACT  OF  2002  (PUBLIC LAW 107-252). ANY PERSON WHO SO REGISTERS TO VOTE
  SHALL EXECUTE THE FOLLOWING INSTRUMENT IN  SUBSTANTIALLY  THE  FOLLOWING
  FORM:

    "I,  (NAME), DO HEREBY CERTIFY, UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, THAT, TO THE
  BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I AM A QUALIFIED VOTER, HAVING RESIDED  AT  (PLACE
  OF  RESIDENCE)  FOR  AT  LEAST  THIRTY  DAYS  IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THIS
  ELECTION, THAT I AM NOT DISQUALIFIED ON ANY LEGAL  GROUNDS  FROM  VOTING
  AND THAT I HAVE NOT ALREADY VOTED AT THIS ELECTION."
    (B)  IF  A REGISTRANT IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE VALID PROOF OF RESIDENCE AS
  REQUIRED BY PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH  REGISTRANT  MAY  BE

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD04805-02-1

 S. 1972--A                          2

  ALLOWED  TO  REGISTER  FOR AND VOTE IN ANY ELECTION BY AFFIDAVIT BALLOT.
  SUCH AFFIDAVIT BALLOT SHALL NOT BE COUNTED UNTIL ELECTION OFFICIALS  CAN
  DETERMINE SUCH REGISTRANT'S RESIDENCE AND ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE.
    (C)  THE  BOARD  OF  ELECTIONS  SHALL ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE BY WHICH A
  PERSON WHO REGISTERS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION MAY CAST  HIS  OR  HER
  VOTE AT THE APPROPRIATE POLLING PLACE.
    S 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2013.