§ 3-212 — Boards of elections; organization, proceedings, reports and records

New York § 3-212

• Jurisdiction: New York
• Law ELN: Election
• Title 2: Board of Elections
• Art. 3: Election Officials

Text

§ 3-212. Boards of elections; organization, proceedings, reports and\nrecords. 1. The election commissioners, at their first meeting after the\nfirst day of January of each year, shall organize as a board, electing\none of their number as president, and one as secretary, and if there is\na deadlock, the members shall draw lots for such places. The president\nand secretary shall not belong to the same party.\n 2. All actions of the board shall require a majority vote of the\ncommissioners prescribed by law for such board.\n 3. The records of the board, and all papers and books filed in its\noffice are public records. Minutes of all meetings shall show how each\ncommissioner voted upon any resolution or motion. The board shall keep a\nrecord of its proceedings, of the number of voters registered and\nenrolled with each party for that year in each political subdivision or\npart thereof, data relating to the expenses connected with registration,\nenrollments and elections within the county or city and such other\ninformation relating to elections as this chapter or the state board of\nelections may prescribe.\n 4. (a) Each board of elections shall make an annual report of its\naffairs and proceedings to its local legislative body once every twelve\nmonths and no later than the last day of January in any year. A copy of\nsaid annual report shall be filed with the state board of elections.\n (b) Said annual report, as required by paragraph (a) of this\nsubdivision, shall include a detailed description of existing programs\ndesigned to enhance voter registration. Such report shall include a\nvoter registration action plan which details the various activities and\nprograms of each board, including a description of those steps which\nshall be taken in the future to increase registration opportunities,\nespecially for those identifiable groups of persons historically\nunderrepresented on the rolls of registered voters; and coordinate voter\neducation programs with school districts, colleges and universities\nwithin the board's jurisdiction including voter registration of\nqualified applicants and instructional or extracurricular activities\npromoting participation in the electoral process.\n (1) Each voter registration action plan shall provide for the\ndesignation by the board of a registration activities coordinator. Such\ndesignee shall be responsible for initiating contact with each school\ndistrict, college and university within the area served by the board to\nrequest that such school district, college and university designate an\nadministrative liaison who, together with the registration activities\ncoordinator, shall plan, prepare and implement voter education and\nregistration programs to enhance electoral participation. The state\nboard of elections shall promulgate rules and regulations providing\nguidelines for county board of election assistance to school districts,\ncolleges and universities in the establishment of electoral\nparticipation programs.\n (2) Each voter registration action plan shall set forth existing\nactivities and planned programs designed to insure compliance with the\nrequirements of subdivision two of section 5-210 of this chapter\nregarding the distribution of registration application forms.\n (3) The state board of elections shall review the voter registration\naction plan submitted by each board of elections and assist in the\ndevelopment and implementation of local registration outreach services\nand activities.\n 5. The board of elections of the city of New York, upon the\naffirmative vote of six commissioners, may adopt rules authorizing a\nnumber of commissioners less than the total membership of the board to\nact on behalf of the board on matters required to be performed by boards\nof election pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, provided that\nsuch number shall be comprised of commissioners representing equally the\ntwo political parties entitled to representation on the board.\n