New York A 4562: Enacts the election workers and polling places protection act

Bill Text

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A04562 Summary:

BILL NOA04562 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S01524

&nbsp

SPONSORLavine (MS)

&nbsp

COSPNSRBurdick, Otis, Kelles, Simon, Shimsky, Carroll R, Levenberg, Weprin, Cruz, Davila, Alvarez, Eachus,
 Lupardo, Reyes, Raga, Bichotte Hermelyn, McDonough, Chang, Hevesi

&nbsp

MLTSPNSRWoerner

&nbsp

Add §17-213, El L

&nbsp

Enacts the "election workers and polling places protection act" to protect poll watchers, election officials, voters and physical property being used as a polling place or by the board of elections.

Go to top A04562 Actions:

BILL NOA04562 

&nbsp

02/04/2025referred to election law

01/07/2026referred to election law

Go to topA04562 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA04562 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA04562 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4562

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 February 4, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. LAVINE, BURDICK, OTIS, KELLES, SIMON, SHIMSKY,
 R. CARROLL, LEVENBERG, WEPRIN, CRUZ, DAVILA, ALVAREZ, EACHUS, LUPARDO,
 REYES, RAGA, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, McDONOUGH, CHANG -- Multi-Sponsored by
 -- M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on
 Election Law

 AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to enacting the "election
 workers and polling places protection act"

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "election workers and polling places protection act".
 3 § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 17-213 to
 4 read as follows:
 5 § 17-213. Election workers and polling place protection. 1. Whoever,
 6 whether or not acting under color of law, interferes in any manner with
 7 any election official in the discharge of the election official's duty
 8 or to induce any election official to violate or refuse to comply with
 9 the election official's duty or any law regulating the same, is guilty
 10 of a class A misdemeanor.
 11 2. Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, by force or
 12 threat of force, or violence, or threat of harm to any person or proper-
 13 ty including loss of employment or economic reprisal, willfully intim-
 14 idates or interferes with, or attempts to intimidate or interfere with
 15 the ability of any person or any class of persons to qualify or act as a
 16 poll watcher in any primary, special, or general election, is guilty of
 17 a class A misdemeanor.
 18 3. Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, by force or
 19 threat of force, or violence, or threat of harm to any person or proper-
 20 ty including loss of employment or economic reprisal, willfully intim-
 21 idates or interferes with, or attempts to intimidate or interfere with
 22 the ability of any person or class of persons to vote or to qualify to

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD04438-01-5

 A. 4562 2

 1 vote in any primary, special, or general election is guilty of a class A
 2 misdemeanor.
 3 4. Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, by force or
 4 threat of force, or violence, or threat of harm to any person or proper-
 5 ty including loss of employment or economic reprisal, willfully intim-
 6 idates or attempts to intimidate any legally authorized election offi-
 7 cial, or any person who is employed by, an agent, contractor, or vendor
 8 of a legally authorized election official, administering or assisting in
 9 the administration of any primary, special, or general election with the
 10 intent to (a) impede or interfere with the official while the official
 11 is engaged in the performance of the official's duties; or (b) retaliate
 12 against the official on account of the official's performance of the
 13 official's duties is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
 14 5. Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, willfully phys-
 15 ically damages or threatens to physically damage any physical property
 16 being used as a polling place or tabulation center or other election
 17 infrastructure, with the intent to interfere with the administration of
 18 an election or the tabulation or cert