New York A 4449: Relates to prohibiting ballot harvesting

Bill Text

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A04449 Summary:

BILL NOA04449 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S01445

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SPONSORMolitor

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COSPNSRGallahan, Smullen, DeStefano, Lemondes, Blankenbush, Brown K, Giglio

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §§8-418 & 17-172, El L

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Prohibits ballot harvesting; prohibits a person from submitting an application for an absentee ballot on behalf of a voter without notarized consent; permits family members, caregivers and other officials to submit applications.

Go to top A04449 Actions:

BILL NOA04449 

&nbsp

02/04/2025referred to election law

01/07/2026referred to election law

Go to topA04449 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA04449 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA04449 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4449

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 4, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. MOLITOR -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Election Law

 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to prohibiting ballot
 harvesting

 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 8-418
 2 to read as follows:
 3 § 8-418. Ballot harvesting prohibited. 1. It shall be an unlawful
 4 practice for any person to engage in ballot harvesting. For purposes of
 5 this section, ballot harvesting shall include:
 6 (a) the making or submission of an application for an absentee ballot,
 7 pursuant to section 8-400 of this article, on behalf of another voter,
 8 unless done in accordance with subdivision two of this section; and
 9 (b) the collection, distribution or submission to a board of
 10 elections, of voted or unvoted absentee ballots, unless done in accord-
 11 ance with subdivision three of this section.
 12 2. A person may submit an application for an absentee ballot on behalf
 13 of another voter, if the voter has signed the absentee ballot applica-
 14 tion, and if:
 15 (a) the person submitting such application for an absentee ballot on
 16 behalf of the other voter, is a family member of the other voter, within
 17 three degrees of consanguinity; or
 18 (b) a voter has executed a signed, written, notarized consent, not
 19 more than thirty days prior to the date of the application, authorizing
 20 the person submitting the application for an absentee ballot to do so on
 21 the voter's behalf, and such person submitting the application for an
 22 absentee ballot on such other voter's behalf also files such signed,
 23 written, notarized consent with the local board of elections at the time
 24 of submitting such application for the absentee ballot, and such person
 25 submitting the application for an absentee ballot on the other voter's

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04489-01-5

 A. 4449 2

 1 behalf has not submitted any other absentee ballot application on behalf
 2 of any other voter under this subdivision.
 3 3. A person may collect, distribute or submit to a board of elections,
 4 a voted or unvoted absentee ballot, if such person collecting, distrib-
 5 uting or submitting such ballot is:
 6 (a) a family member of the voter, to whom the absentee ballot belongs,
 7 within three degrees of consanguinity; or
 8 (b) a caregiver of the voter, to whom the absentee ballot belongs, if
 9 such voter has filed with the board of elections, a signed, written,
 10 notarized statement executed by the voter, that such person so collect-
 11 ing, distributing and/or submitting the ballot on the voter's behalf, is
 12 in fact a caregiver of the voter, with permission to collect, distribute
 13 and/or submit such voter's absentee ballot; or
 14 (c) an election official employed by the board of elections, who at
 15 the time of the collection, distribution or submission of such absentee
 16 ballot, was exclusively engaged in and performing their official duties;
 17 or
 18 (d) a United States postal service employee, who at the time of the
 19 collection, distribution or submission of such absentee ballot, was
 20 exclusively engaged in and performing their official duties; or
 21 (e) a delivery courier hired by the voter whose bal