NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8129
SPONSOR: Mikulin TITLE OF BILL:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY proposing an amendment
to section 7 of article 2 of the constitution in relation to providing
identification when voting in person
PURPOSE:
Requires government-issued photo registration and voting. Concurrent
Resolution of the State and Assembly proposing an amendment to section 7
of article 2 of the constitution in relation to providing identification
when voting in person.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Resolved that section 7 of article 2 of the constitution be
amended to read as follows:
Section 7. All elections by the citizens, except for those time officers
as may by law be directed to be otherwise chosen, shall be by ballot, or
by such other method as may be prescribed by law, provided that secrecy
in voting be preserved. The legislature shall provide for identification
of voters though their signatures and government-issued photo identifi-
cation.
This act shall take effect in conformity with section 1 of article 19 of
the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of such
election.
JUSTIFICATION:
In a representative republic, faith in our election system depends upon
the electorate's well-founded belief that votes are cast and counted in
a consistent, fair and non-discriminatory manner, by individuals who are
properly registered and eligible to do so. New York's system of voting
currently relies upon the nothing more than the subjective determination
of a volunteer poll worker that a signature on a computer tablet matches
a signature contained on voter rolls maintained by local Boards of
Elections. The establishment of reasonable requirements for the
production of government-issued identification in order to vote adds a
level of transparency, safety and security to this process. The legis-
lation sets forth specific forms of identification and is proposed as a
constitutional amendment to give the voters - not the politicians - the
final say on this common sense measure to protect the integrity of our
elections.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect in conformity with section 1 of article 19 of
the constitution, be published for 3 months previous to the time of such
election.
