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a. There shall be a voter assistance advisory committee consisting of nine members, which shall assist the board with its duties and responsibilities under this chapter, including but not limited to overseeing the voter assistance program established by this chapter. Two members shall be appointed by the mayor, provided that not more than one such member shall be enrolled in any one political party; two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the city council, provided that not more than one such member shall be enrolled in any one political party; one member shall be appointed by the comptroller; one member shall be appointed by the borough presidents acting together; and one member shall be appointed by the mayor in consultation with the speaker and shall serve as chair. In addition, the committee shall include the public advocate, or in his or her absence, a representative, and the executive director of the board of elections (or, in his or her absence, the deputy executive director of the board of elections). In appointing members to the committee, the mayor, speaker, comptroller and borough presidents shall consider experience with groups or categories of residents that are underrepresented among those who vote or among those who are registered to vote and community, voter registration, civil rights, and disabled groups. The appointed members shall first be appointed to serve as follows:
1. one member appointed by the speaker for a term of one year;
2. one member appointed by the mayor for a term of two years;
3. one member appointed by the speaker for a term of three years;
4. one member appointed by the mayor for a term of four years;
5. one member appointed by the comptroller for a term of four years;
6. one member appointed by the borough presidents for a term of five years; and
7. the chair, appointed by the mayor in consultation with the speaker for a term of five years.
Each term shall commence on January first, two thousand eleven. Thereafter, each member shall be appointed for a term of five years according to the original manner of appointment. Upon expiration of the term of a member, if the appointing official or officials shall fail to appoint a member within one hundred twenty days of the expiration of such term, the member whose term has expired shall be deemed appointed for an additional term of five years. In case of a vacancy in the office of an appointed member, a member shall be appointed to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term according to the original manner of appointment. For appointees of the mayor or speaker, such member shall not be enrolled in the same political party as the other member appointed by the official making the appointment to fill the vacancy. Each member shall be a resident of the city, registered to vote therein. No member other than the public advocate shall serve as an officer of a political party, or be a candidate, or participate in any capacity in a campaign by a candidate, for nomination for election or election to the office of mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president or member of the city council. The members of the committee shall serve without compensation.
b. The board, with the advice and assistance of the committee and the coordinator of voter assistance, shall:
1. encourage and facilitate voter registration and voting by all residents of New York City who are eligible to vote, and recommend methods to increase the rate of registration and voting by such residents;
2. identify groups or categories of such residents who are underrepresented among those registered and those voting and recommend methods to increase the rate of voter registration and voting among such groups and categories;
3. consistent with all state and local laws, coordinate the activities of all city agencies in general and specialized efforts to increase registration and voting including, but not limited to, the distribution of forms for citizens who use or come in contact with the services of city agencies and institutions; mailings by city agencies to reach citizens; cooperative efforts with non-partisan voter registration groups, community boards, agencies of city, state, and federal governments, and entities doing business in the city; the development and distribution of guidance for agencies designated as participating agencies pursuant to section 1057-a on the voting rights of formerly incarcerated persons; publicity and other efforts to educate youth about the importance of voting and to encourage eligible youth to register to vote; and other outreach programs;
4. make such recommendations as it deems appropriate to the mayor, the council, the borough presidents, and the board of elections for steps that should be taken by such officials or bodies or by city agencies to encourage and facilitate voter registration and voting by all residents of New York City who are eligible to vote;
5. undertake, by itself or in cooperation with other public or private entities, activities intended to encourage and facilitate voter registration and voting by all residents of New York City who are eligible or may become eligible to vote, including eligible voters who are limited in English proficiency and incarcerated or formerly incarcerated persons who are or may become eligible to vote;
6. prepare and publish reports, including, at the minimum, an annual report to be published no later than April thirtieth in each year, regarding voter registration and voter participation in New York City, and forward copies of such reports to the mayor, the council, the borough presidents, and all other public officials with responsibilities for policies, programs and appropriations related to voter registration and voter participation in New York City and to private entities that are currently or potentially involved in activities intended to increase voter registration and voting. Such annual report shall include, but not be limited to (a) a description of voter assistance activities and the effectiveness of those activities in increasing voter registration and voter participation; (b) the number of voter registration forms distributed by the programs related to voter assistance and voter participation, the manner in which those forms were distributed and the estimated number of persons registered through the activities of the programs, including the number of voter registration application forms received and transmitted to the New York city board of elections during the preceding calendar year pursuant to section 1057-f, both in total and disaggregated for the website and mobile application; (c) the number and characteristics of citizens registered and unregistered to vote during the previous primary, general and special elections and for the most recent time period for which such information is available; (d) the number and characteristics of citizens who voted during the previous primary, general and special elections; (e) a review and analysis of voter registration and voter participation processes in New York City during the previous year, including data on usage and visitation for the website and mobile application required pursuant to section 1057-f; (f) recommendations for increasing voter registration and voter participation; and (g) any other information or analysis the board deems necessary and appropriate; and
7. monitor voter registration and voting in New York City, and receive citizen complaints regarding such processes.
8. conduct yearly trainings for all relevant staff of the department of correction. Such training shall include, at minimum, information on voting laws for currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in the state of New York, voter registration procedures, early mail and absentee voting, and determining eligibility to vote.
c. The committee shall meet at least every other month. The committee shall hold at least two public hearings each year, one following the issuance of the annual report, and the second between the day following the general election and December twenty-first, regarding voter registration and voter participation in New York City. Any member of the board may attend and participate in committee meetings and hearings.
(Am. L.L. 2017/238, 12/16/2017, eff. 6/16/2019; Am. L.L. 2019/006, 12/29/2018, eff. 4/28/2019; Am. L.L. 2019/011, 12/29/2018, eff. 6/29/2019; Am. 2023 N.Y. Laws Ch. 481, 9/20/2023, eff. 1/1/2024)
Heads of mayoral agencies shall cooperate to the extent practicable with the board of elections and the campaign finance board and its coordinator of voter assistance to improve public awareness of the candidates, proposals or referenda in all elections in which there are contested elections held in the city of New York for any city, county, state, or federal office and/or ballot proposals or referenda pursuant to city, county, state, or federal law, and to encourage voter registration and voting by all residents of the city of New York eligible to vote. Such cooperation shall include providing the campaign finance board with appropriate information concerning the resources, opportunities, and locations the agency can provide for public awareness and voter assistance activities.
Each agency designated as a participating agency under the provisions of this section shall implement and administer a program of distribution of voter registration forms pursuant to the provisions of this section. The following offices are hereby designated as participating voter registration agencies: The administration for children's services, the business integrity commission, the city clerk, the civilian complaint review board, the commission on human rights, community boards, the department of small business services, the department for the aging, the department of citywide administrative services, the department of city planning, the department of consumer and worker protection, the department of correction, the department of cultural affairs, the department of environmental protection, the department of finance, the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of homeless services, the department of housing preservation and development, the department of parks and recreation, the department of probation, the department of records and information services, the taxi and limousine commission, the department of transportation, the department of youth and community development, the fire department, and the human resources administration. Participating agencies shall include a mandate in all new or renewed agreements with those subcontractors having regular contact with the public in the daily administration of their business to follow the guidelines of this section. Such participating agencies shall be required to offer voter registration forms to all persons together with written applications for services, renewal or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services, in the same language as such application, renewal, recertification or change of address form where practicable; provided however that this section shall not apply to services that must be provided to prevent actual or potential danger to the life, health, or safety of any individual or of the public. Such agencies shall provide assistance to applicants in completing voter registration forms, including the section of the form allowing for registration to become an organ donor, and in cases in which such an agency would provide assistance with its own form, such agency shall provide the same degree of assistance with regard to the voter registration and organ donor forms as is provided with regard to the completion of its own form, if so requested. As part of such assistance, such agencies shall also, upon request by an applicant who identifies himself or herself as being on parole and when practically feasible, check publicly available information to inform such applicant if a restoration of their right to vote has been granted, provided that such assistance may be provided by a person other than the person to whom the request was made and further provided that such assistance shall not be considered an endorsement of the accuracy of any publicly available information not maintained by the city. Such agencies shall also receive and transmit the completed application form from any applicants who request to have such form transmitted to the board of elections for the city of New York.
1. Participating agencies shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this section. The campaign finance board shall prepare and distribute to participating agencies written advisory agency guidelines as to the implementation of this section and may establish training programs for employees of participating agencies; provided that any guidelines promulgated by the voter assistance commission prior to the effective date of this clause shall remain in effect unless further amended or repealed by the board. Participating agencies may consider such advisory agency guidelines in the promulgation of their rules and regulations.
2. Participating agencies shall provide and distribute voter registration forms to all persons together with written applications for services, renewal or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services, in the same language as such application, renewal, recertification or change of address form where practicable; provided however that this section shall not apply to services that must be provided to prevent actual or potential danger to life, health or safety of any individual or of the public. Participating agency staff shall provide assistance in completing these distributed voter registration forms, including the section of the form allowing for registration to become an organ donor, and in cases in which such an agency would provide assistance with its own form, such agency shall provide the same degree of assistance with regard to the voter registration and organ donor forms as is provided with regard to the completion of its own form, if so requested. Participating agencies shall also include a voter registration form with any agency communication sent through the United States mail for the purpose of supplying clients with application, renewal or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services materials. Participating agencies shall also incorporate an opportunity to request a voter registration application into any application for services, renewal or recertification for services and change of address relating to such services provided on computer terminals, the World Wide Web or the Internet. Any person indicating that they wish to be sent a voter registration form, via computer terminals, the World Wide Web or the Internet shall be provided with a link to the website and mobile application required pursuant to section 1057-f and, at the person's discretion, sent such a form by the participating agency, or directed to a bank on that system where such a form may be downloaded. Each participating agency shall also maintain on its website at least one link to the website and mobile application required pursuant to section 1057-f.
3. Participating agencies shall also:
a. by December 1, 2015, or at the next regularly scheduled printing of their forms, whichever is earlier, physically incorporate the voter registration forms with their own application forms in a manner that permits the voter registration portion to be detached therefrom. Until such time when the agency amends its form, each agency should affix or include a postage paid board of elections for the city of New York voter registration form to or with its application, renewal, recertification and change of address forms;
b. use voter registration forms that contain a code assigned by the board of elections of the city of New York which designate such forms as originating from participating agencies; and
c. transmit any completed forms collected by such agency to the board of elections of the city of New York within two weeks of the receipt of such completed forms at the participating agency. If a completed form is collected within five days before the last day for registration to vote in a citywide election, such completed form shall be transmitted by the participating agency to the board of elections of the city of New York not later than five days after the date of acceptance, provided, however, that notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any agency subject to the requirements of section 5-211 of the election law shall be governed only by the timeframes for transmission of such forms to the board of elections set forth in such section.
4. All persons seeking voter registration forms and information shall be advised in writing together with other written materials provided by agencies or by appropriate publicity that government services are not conditioned on being registered to vote. No statement shall be made nor any action taken by an agency employee to discourage the applicant from registering to vote or to enroll in any particular political party.
5. The completion of the voter registration form by an applicant is voluntary.
6. Employees of a participating agency who provide voter registration assistance shall not:
a. seek to influence an applicant's political preference or party designation;
b. display any political preference or party allegiance;
c. make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to discourage the applicant from registering to vote; or
d. make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to lead the applicant to believe that a decision to register or not to register has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits.
7. Each participating agency, department, division and office that makes available voter registration forms shall prominently display promotional materials designed and approved by the board of elections for the city of New York or state board of elections for use in state agency programs.
8. Each participating agency, other than community boards and the city clerk, shall submit semi-annual reports on their implementation of this section to the mayor's office of operations. Such reports shall include the number of registration forms distributed, the number of registration forms completed at an agency office to the extent readily ascertainable, and the number of registration forms transmitted to the board of elections. Such reports shall be submitted to the mayor's office of operations by January 15 and July 15 of each year, with the first reports due by July 15, 2015. The mayor's office of operations shall compile such reports into a single report that disaggregates such data by agency, and shall deliver such compiled report to the speaker by February 15 and August 15 of each year, with the first such report due by August 15, 2015.
9. In addition to the other requirements of this section, the department of correction shall implement and administer a program of distribution and submission of early mail and absentee ballot applications, and subsequently received early mail or absentee ballots, for eligible incarcerated individuals. Such department shall offer, to all incarcerated individuals who are registered to vote, early mail and absentee ballot applications, and a means to complete them, during the period from sixty days prior to any primary, special, or general election in the city of New York until two weeks prior to any such election. Such department shall subsequently provide any early mail or absentee ballot received from the board of elections in response to any such application to the applicable incarcerated individual, as well as a means to complete it. Such department shall provide assistance to any such incarcerated individual in filling out such application or ballot upon request. Such department shall, not later than five days after receipt, transmit such completed applications and ballots from any incarcerated individual who wishes to have them transmitted to the board of elections for the city of New York. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply in any specific instance in which the department deems it unsafe to comply therewith.
10.* The department of probation shall, in addition to the other requirements of this section for participating agencies, distribute during the intake process, to any person sentenced to probation, a written notice on the voting rights of persons sentenced to probation in the state of New York. Such written notice shall be developed in consultation with the voter assistance advisory committee.
10.* The department of correction shall, in addition to the other requirements of this section for participating agencies, distribute to every person upon release from custody of the department a written notice on the voting rights of formerly incarcerated persons in the state of New York, including information on when such persons are or may become eligible to vote, and offer to every such person a voter registration form. The department shall make verbal reference to the distributed written notice and voter registration form to such individuals upon distribution. Such notice shall only be required for those who are released from a department facility, from department custody within a courthouse, and from a department-operated area within a hospital or healthcare provider. Notice is not required for those who are released to the custody of another government agency or to the custody of a hospital or healthcare provider. Such written notice shall be developed in consultation with the voter assistance advisory committee.
* Editor's note: there are two subdivisions numbered as 10.
(Am. L.L. 2016/138, 11/16/2016, eff. 2/14/2017; Am. L.L. 2016/139, 11/16/2016, eff. 2/14/2017; Am. L.L. 2017/238, 12/16/2017, eff. 6/16/2019; Am. L.L. 2019/002, 12/29/2018, eff. 4/28/2019; Am. L.L. 2019/006, 12/29/2018, eff. 4/28/2019; Am. L.L. 2019/011, 12/29/2018, eff. 6/29/2019; Am. L.L. 2020/080, 8/28/2020, eff. 8/28/2020; Am. 2021 N.Y. Laws Ch. 322, 8/2/2021, eff. 8/2/2021; Am. 2023 N.Y. Laws Ch. 481, 9/20/2023, eff. 1/1/2024)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Administrative Code Appendix A at L.L. 2000/029, L.L. 2003/052, L.L. 2014/063 and L.L. 2020/080.
a. The number of signatures required for any designating petition or independent nominating petition for the designation or nomination of a candidate for an elected office of the city shall be governed by applicable provisions of the New York state election law, except that in no event shall the number of signatures required exceed the following limits:
(1) for the offices of mayor, comptroller, or public advocate, three thousand seven hundred fifty signatures;
(2) for the office of borough president, two thousand signatures; and
(3) for the office of member of the city council, four hundred fifty signatures.
b. (1) The following provisions of the election law shall not apply to the extent that they govern the designation or independent nomination of mayor, comptroller, public advocate, member of the city council, and borough president: paragraphs (a), (b), and (c-1) of subdivision two of section 6-136 (designating petitions; number of signatures); and paragraphs (b), (c), and (d-1) of subdivision two of section 6-142 (independent nominations; number of signatures). Section 6-100 of the election law shall apply, except to the extent that provisions of article six of the election law are inapplicable in accordance with this section.
(2) Any other provisions that from time to time may be added to the election law and that relate to the matters covered by the provisions of the election law that are inapplicable in accordance with this section shall similarly not apply to the extent that they govern the designation or nomination of such officers.
(3) References to provisions of the election law in this section shall be deemed to refer to any successors to such provisions.
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