NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1265
SPONSOR: Bichotte Hermelyn
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act relating to permitting video-conferencing of, and proxy voting
at, political party meetings, conventions and caucuses; and providing
for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill is intended to permit political parties to meet safely during
the COVID-19 pandemic by meeting via video conferencing.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill allows party caucuses, party meetings and party
conventions to be held via video-conferencing; it permits proxy voting
at such meeting and establishes how many proxies a person may carry and
the form of such proxies; it provides that a delegate to a judicial
convention may give his or her proxy to any delegate or alternate dele-
gate in the same judicial district.
Section 2. As set forth in the effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The State of New York is in the midst of a natural disaster as a result
of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. The threat of COVID-19 contagion,
and the necessary policy of social distancing to prevent that, could
drastically affect the ability of political parties to meet as required
by the election law. In order to facilitate the participation of party
members and delegates in various caucuses, meetings and conventions, it
is necessary to allow such caucuses, meetings and conventions to be held
via video-conferencing and to allow members and delegates to carry prox-
ies for other members and delegates. Political parties are essential for
democracy and these short-term processes will assure they can function
properly
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A07783; Referred to election law
2019-20: A10792; referred to rules
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed December 31, 2021.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1265
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, JACKSON, WALKER -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT relating to permitting video-conferencing of, and proxy voting
at, political party meetings, conventions and caucuses; and providing
for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law or a party committee's
2 rules to the contrary:
3 (a) any party caucus, party meeting or party convention held pursuant
4 to the election law in the year 2023 may be held by means of video
5 conferencing in whole or in part, at the discretion of the chairperson
6 calling such meeting; provided, however, that any required notice shall
7 include instructions to participants as to how to access such video
8 conference;
9 (b) proxy voting at any party caucus, party meeting or party conven-
10 tion held pursuant to the election law in the year 2023 shall be permit-
11 ted. Except where a greater number is permitted by a party committee's
12 rules, any person eligible to attend and vote at such a caucus, meeting
13 or convention may hold up to ten proxies or a number of proxies equaling
14 the number of members or delegates contained in the member's or deleg-
15 ate's assembly district, whichever is less. A proxy statement may be in
16 the form prescribed by the party committee's rules or as accepted in the
17 past by the party entity or may be substantially as follows: "I, a
18 member or eligible voter of (insert party caucus, party meeting or party
19 convention), do hereby give my proxy authorization to (insert name of
20 proxy holder) who shall be authorized to vote in my stead at the (insert
21 party caucus, party meeting or party convention) to be held on (insert
22 date) and any adjourned date thereof." Any proxy granted hereunder shall
23 be revocable in a writing provided to the secretary or chair of the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01172-01-3
A. 1265 2
1 party entity or by the attendance of the proxy grantor at the caucus,
2 meeting or convention stated; and
3 (c) a delegate to a judicial convention may give his or her proxy to
4 any delegate or alternate delegate in the same judicial district.
5 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
6 deemed repealed December 31, 2023.