Skip to main content

Agora
Sign in

Senate bill · S4469 (2025-26)

Relates to absentee ballots for school district elections due to a religious commitment

New York State Senate

Latest action Jun 5, 2026

Sponsor: Shelley Mayer (State Senator, District 37, Democratic/Working Families)

Follow

Following needs an Agora account. You will sign in first, then come back to this page.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 18, 2026. About our data

Summary

Relates to absentee ballots for school district elections due to a religious commitment or following such applicant's religious teaching or tenet that forbids secular activity on that day.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Education Law.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

To allow voters to request an absentee ballot for a school election if they will be unable to vote in person due to a religious commitment.

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

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

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

Committee

Education · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Education · New York State Senate.

Your position on this bill

Choose the position closest to yours. You'll sign in or create an account to save it.

Sign in or create an account to give your position

The sponsor's argument

Why Shelley Mayer says this is needed

Under current law, voters may only request an absentee ballot for school elections in a limited number of circumstances: if they are out of town on the day of the election, unable to appear in person due to an illness or disability, or currently incarcerated in jail. This legislation would allow voters to request an absentee ballot when they cannot vote in person due to a religious commitment, providing increased access to the franchise. School elections in New York tend to have low rates of voter partic- ipation. In 2021, only 520,717 total New Yorkers cast ballots on the 675 school budgets submitted to the voters. In contrast, in 2020, when school budget votes were conducted entirely by absentee ballot due to COVID-19, almost 1.6 million New Yorkers cast votes.l This legislation would give more voters access to absentee ballots, hopefully increasing participation in future school elections.

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: Committee vote · Education

    Senate EducationMay 19, 2026Result: passed

    (15) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

  1. Jun 5, 2026

    In committee

    COMMITTED TO RULES

    NY Senate

  2. May 21, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  3. May 20, 2026

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  4. May 20, 2026

    Amended

    AMENDED 4469A

    NY Senate

  5. May 19, 2026

    1ST Report CAL.1175

    1ST REPORT CAL.1175

    NY Senate

Show full history (2 earlier events)
  1. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

    NY Senate

  2. Feb 5, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

    NY Senate

Read the record