BILL NUMBER: S4469
SPONSOR: MAYER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to absentee ballots for
school district elections due to a religious commitment
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
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.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends paragraphs a and c section 2018-a of the education law,
to allow voters to request an absentee ballot for elections in school
districts which do not utilize poll registration if they cannot vote in
person due to a religious commitment.
Section 2 amends subdivision 2 of section 2018-b of the education law,
to allow voters to request an absentee ballot for elections in school
districts which do utilize poll registration if they cannot vote in
person due to a religious commitment.
Section 3 sets the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
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.1 This legislation
would give more voters access to absentee ballots, hopefully increasing
participation in future school elections.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S9521 (2023-24).: Referred to Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
TBD.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
Heiser, Paul. "Voter turnout drops 67%." New York State School Boards
Association. June 14, 2021. Accessed May 15. 2024.
1.Heiser, Paul. "Voter turnout drops 67%." New York State School Boards
Association. June 14, 2021. Accessed May 15, 2024.
https://www.nyssba.org/new/2021/06/14/on-board-online-june-14-2021/
voter-turnout-drops-67/

Statutes affected:
S4469: 2018-b education law, 2018-b(2) education law