Authorizes county boards of elections to establish county-wide polling places

• Democratic3

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Rachel May says this is needed

Early voting is a critical reform that has made voting easier and more accessible for New Yorkers all across the state. One of the keys to making this system work is the way voters can access the ballot: quali- fied voters in a county can make use of an early voting site of their convenience. Many counties have multiple sites set up for the full early voting period, made possible by systems that allow voters to check in and receive a ballot specific to their address inside their county. Overseen by bipartisan elections commissioners and poll workers, this system functions well across the state during the early voting period. Given the success of this model during the early voting period, it is time for New York to take another step that has proven highly effective in numerous other states: establishing Election Day vote centers. According to the National Association of Secretaries of State, a "vote center or a ballot center permits any voter within a whole jurisdiction to cast their vote, regardless of their residential address. To allow this alternative, vote centers often require an e-poll book which enables the voter to check-in directly..." As of 2018, such vote centers have been used in many states, for early voting (Nevada, Kansas, Louisi- ana, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington DC), election day (Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa), or both (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, North Dakota, Indiana) It is time to bring this reform to New York on Election Day. This legis- lation will give county election officials the flexibility they need to establish one or more such centers during elections, Just like the established polling places during early voting, ibese..ftte centers will allow voters from anywhere within a county to use polling places with such a designation to cast their ballot. The placement and designation of such vote centers would be decided at the discretion of local elections officials, if they choose to pursue the vote center model. Such an option could make use of already established polling places, with equipment many counties already have and that poll workers will be familiar with from early voting.

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.