Bill Text: NY A01525 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Relates to watchers during election; provides that any candidate 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 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-29 - signed chap.418 [A01525 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A01525-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1525--A
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 15, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. BUCHWALD -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee  on  Election  Law  -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
        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], any independent  body  whose
     7  candidates are upon the ballot, [and at any primary election, any two or
     8  more candidates and any political committee] and any political committee
     9  supporting  or  opposing  a  ballot  proposal may have for each election
    10  district three watchers at any one time, not more than one of  whom  may
    11  be within the guard rail at any one time. Watchers shall be appointed by
    12  the  [chairman]  chair  or  other officer of any such party[,] committee
    13  [or], independent body [or by the candidates] or political committee.
    14    2. At any primary election, any party committee and any  candidate  on
    15  the ballot may have for each election district three watchers at any one
    16  time,  not more than one of whom may be within the guard rail at any one
    17  time. Watchers shall be appointed by the chair or other officer  of  any
    18  such party committee or by any candidate.
    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-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07189-02-9
        A. 1525--A                          2

     1  tical   party   or  independent  body,  or  the  candidates]  appointing
     2  authority. Such certificate shall be delivered to an  inspector  at  the
     3  election district.
     4    [4.]  5.  Each watcher must be a qualified voter of the city or county
     5  in which he or she is to serve. No person shall be appointed or act as a
     6  watcher who is a candidate for any public office to be voted for by  the
     7  voters of the election district in the same election in which the watch-
     8  er  is  to  serve.  Nothing  in  this  subdivision shall be construed as
     9  prohibiting any such candidate from visiting a  polling  place  in  such
    10  district on an election day while the polls are open.
    11    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.