NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5323
SPONSOR: Bichotte Hermelyn TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the election law, in relation to providing Haitian
Creole language voting materials
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to provide voting material in Haitian Creole
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 would authorize board of election to provide voting materials
in Haitian Creole. It shall also produce:
(a) A voter registration form in English with instructions in Haitian
Creole
(b) Instructions in Haitian Creole regarding the criteria and applica-
tion process for obtaining an absentee ballot
(c) A section with general voter information in Haitian Creole including
frequently asked questions
JUSTIFICATION:
The board of election currently does not provide voting material in
areas in which there is primarily a Haitian Creole speaking population.
Providing voting material in Haitian Creole will allow those citizens to
understand the voting process.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20: A3025; Referred to election law
2017-18: A311; Referred to Election Law
2015-16: A9727
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall become law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5323
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 12, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, HYNDMAN, WALKER, L. ROSENTHAL,
SOLAGES, GOTTFRIED, COLTON, JEAN-PIERRE, JOYNER -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Election Law
AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to providing Haitian
Creole language voting materials
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The election law is amended by adding a new section 3-507
2 to read as follows:
3 § 3-507. Boards of elections; voting materials in Haitian Creole. A
4 board of elections in a city with a population of over one million shall
5 provide the same information in Haitian Creole that it provides in
6 languages other than English on its website. It shall also produce and
7 disseminate citywide a booklet that includes: (a) a voter registration
8 form in English with instructions in Haitian Creole; (b) instructions in
9 Haitian Creole regarding the criteria and application process for
10 obtaining an absentee ballot; and (c) a section with general voter
11 information in Haitian Creole including frequently asked questions. Such
12 board may include other languages on its website and in such booklet.
13 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
14 ing that date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06224-01-1
