Bill Text: NY A01259 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to watchers during election; any two or more candidates on the ballot and any political committee may have for each election district three watchers at any one time, not more than one of whom may be within the guard rail at any one time.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-01-22 - REFERRED TO ELECTIONS [A01259 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-A01259-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1259
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 11, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. BUCHWALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Election Law
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  election  law,  in  relation to watchers during
          election
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1. Section 8-500 of the election law, as amended by chapter 9
     2  of the laws of 1978, subdivisions 1 and 3 as amended by chapter  373  of
     3  the  laws  of  1978,  and subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 254 of the
     4  laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
     5    § 8-500. Watchers; provision for. 1. At any general, special, town  or
     6  village  election,  any  party  committee  [or] and any independent body
     7  whose candidates are upon the ballot, [and at any primary election,  any
     8  two  or  more  candidates and any political committee] may have for each
     9  election district three watchers at any one time, not more than  one  of
    10  whom  may  be  within  the guard rail at any one time. Watchers shall be
    11  appointed by the [chairman] chair or other officer of  any  such  party,
    12  committee or independent body [or by the candidates].
    13    2.  At  any  primary  election,  any  party committee, any two or more
    14  candidates on the ballot and any political committee may have  for  each
    15  election  district  three watchers at any one time, not more than one of
    16  whom may be within the guard rail at any one  time.  Watchers  shall  be
    17  appointed  by the chair or other officer of any such party, committee or
    18  by any two candidates.
    19    3. Watchers may be present at  the  polling  place  at  least  fifteen
    20  minutes  before  the  unlocking and examination of any voting machine or
    21  ballot box at the opening of the polls, until after the signing  of  the
    22  inspectors' returns and proclamation of the result.
    23    [3.]  4.  The  appointment  of watchers for any election shall be by a
    24  certificate in writing issued by the [chairman or secretary of the poli-
    25  tical  party  or  independent  body,  or  the   candidates]   appointing
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01575-01-7
        A. 1259                             2
     1  authority.  Such  certificate  shall be delivered to an inspector at the
     2  election district.
     3    [4.]  5.  Each watcher must be a qualified voter of the city or county
     4  in which he or she is to serve. No person shall be appointed or act as a
     5  watcher who is a candidate for any public office to be voted for by  the
     6  voters of the election district in the same election in which the watch-
     7  er  is  to  serve.  Nothing  in  this  subdivision shall be construed as
     8  prohibiting any such candidate from visiting a  polling  place  in  such
     9  district on an election day while the polls are open.
    10    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.