Bill Text: NY S08238 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes and directs the state board of elections to create an online petitioning system for designating petitions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-04-27 - REFERRED TO ELECTIONS [S08238 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08238-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8238

                    IN SENATE

                                     April 27, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 authorizing and direct-
          ing the state board of  elections  to  create  an  online  petitioning
          system for designating petitions

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 6-136-a
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 6-136-a. Online petitioning system  for  designating  petitions.  1.
     4  Notwithstanding   any  other  provision  of  law,  the  state  board  of
     5  elections, in cooperation with county boards of election, is  authorized
     6  and  directed  to provide a system for qualified voters to sign a desig-
     7  nating petition for a candidate by way of a secure internet portal. Such
     8  system shall:
     9    (a) provide for the collection of designating petitions for candidates
    10  for the following offices:
    11    (i) United States senate;
    12    (ii) United States house of representatives;
    13    (iii) New York state governor;
    14    (iv) New York state lieutenant governor;
    15    (v) New York state comptroller;
    16    (vi) New York state attorney general;
    17    (vii) New York state senate;
    18    (viii) New York state assembly;
    19    (ix) county offices;
    20    (x) town offices;
    21    (xi) city offices;
    22    (xii) village offices; and
    23    (xiii) school boards.
    24    (b) be integrated with county boards of elections;
    25    (c) provide for the transmission of signed designating petitions or  a
    26  facsimile  of  such  petitions  to  the appropriate officer in charge of
    27  elections for a particular elected office;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16138-02-0
        S. 8238                             2

     1    (d) allow only those qualified voters who are eligible to sign a peti-
     2  tion for a particular candidate to sign such petition, including provid-
     3  ing a method for the qualified voter's identity to be properly verified;
     4  and
     5    (e) provide that candidates may choose to collect designating petition
     6  signatures  up  to an amount equal to the full number of required desig-
     7  nating petition signatures by use of the online petition  system  estab-
     8  lished by this section.
     9    2. Use of the online petition system established by this section shall
    10  not preclude the collection and use of paper designating petitions.
    11    3.  The state board of elections is authorized to promulgate rules and
    12  regulations necessary for the implementation of this section.
    13    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.