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Senate bill · S1809 (2025-26)

Authorizes full-time college students to act as election inspectors and poll clerks in the election district where their colleges are located

PassedLatest action Jun 1, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A8388, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Passed as A8388, the matching Assembly bill.

Sponsor

Nathalia Fernandez

State Senator, District 34 · Democratic

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Summary

Authorizes, under certain circumstances, full-time college and university students to act as election inspectors and poll clerks in the election district where their college or university is located.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Election Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 22, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

To permit boards of elections to hire college and university students as elections inspectors without compliance with certain requirements.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed the legislature and is awaiting a signature.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Election Law · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Elections · New York State Senate.

Cosponsors

Larinda Hooks, Lea Webb and 2 more on Agora

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab)
  • Democratic4

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

The sponsor's argument

Why Nathalia Fernandez says this is needed

Every year at election time, election districts around the state are plagued by a shortage of trained staff to operate as elections inspec- tors at local polling places. One consequence of this chronic shortage is that several election districts are often forced to vote in a single polling place, an inconvenience for voters who would prefer to cast their ballots closer to home and an administrative nightmare for election workers who must maintain and close down several machines. In a presidential election year or a year with several hotly contested races, these staffing shortages are felt more acutely. In some areas of New York City, voters were forced to wait for 2-3 hours to cast their ballots during the 2000 General Election. To ensure that every New Yorker can fully participate in the election process, we need to increase the number of trained election inspectors. New recruitment is especially important now because many of the current inspectors are senior citizens and will retire from their poll watching duties in the next few years. By recruiting young people as inspectors, New York will help alleviate a current crisis while ensuring an adequate pool of polling place personnel for many years to come.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 1, 2026Result: passedSenate vote on A8388, the matching Assembly bill.

    (39) (21) (0) (3)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Rules

    Senate RulesMay 28, 2026Result: passed

    (16) (5) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateMar 19, 2025Result: passed

    (39) (21) (0) (3)

  • Vote: Committee vote · Elections

    Senate ElectionsFeb 10, 2025Result: passed

    (5) (2) (0) (0)

Full history

  1. Jun 1, 2026

    3RD Reading CAL.1348

    3RD READING CAL.1348

    NY Senate

  2. Jun 1, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  3. Jun 1, 2026

    Substituted

    SUBSTITUTED BY A8388

    NY Senate

  4. May 28, 2026

    In committee

    COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  5. May 28, 2026

    Ordered to Third Reading CAL.1348

    ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1348

    NY Senate

Show full history (16 earlier events)
  1. May 6, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO SENATE

    NY Assembly

  2. May 6, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  3. May 6, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

    NY Senate

  4. Feb 12, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading CAL.258

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING CAL.258

    NY Assembly

  5. Feb 11, 2026

    Reported out of committee

    REPORTED

    NY Assembly

  6. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  7. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ELECTION LAW

    NY Assembly

  8. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

    NY Senate

  9. May 13, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ELECTION LAW

    NY Assembly

  10. Mar 19, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  11. Mar 19, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  12. Mar 19, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ELECTION LAW

    NY Assembly

  13. Feb 12, 2025

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  14. Feb 11, 2025

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  15. Feb 10, 2025

    1ST Report CAL.293

    1ST REPORT CAL.293

    NY Senate

  16. Jan 14, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

    NY Senate