New York S 1524: Enacts the election workers and polling places protection act

Bill Text

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S01524 Summary:

BILL NOS01524 

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SAME ASSAME AS A04562

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SPONSORMAY

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §17-213, El L

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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 S01524 Actions:

BILL NOS01524 

&nbsp

01/10/2025REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

01/07/2026REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

Go to topS01524 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS01524 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS01524 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1524

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 10, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections

 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
 23 vote in any primary, special, or general election is guilty of a class A
 24 misdemeanor.

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

 S. 1524 2

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