§ 5-506 — Optional use of computer registration lists

New York § 5-506

• Jurisdiction: New York
• Law ELN: Election
• Title 5: Registration Records
• Art. 5: Registration and Enrollment of Voters

Text

§ 5-506. Optional use of computer registration lists. 1.\nNotwithstanding the provisions of this chapter to the contrary, a board\nof elections may apply to the state board of elections for permission to\ndiscontinue preparation, use and maintenance of registration poll\nrecords.\n 2. The state board of elections shall adopt regulations establishing\nthe requirements which must be met by a board of elections seeking such\npermission.\n 3. Such requirements shall include, but not be limited to the\nfollowing:\n a. The board of elections maintains a complete, current, computer\nreadable record for each registered voter which includes a reproducible\nsignature, except that the record of the elections in which such voter\nhas voted shall not be required to be maintained in such record for\nlonger than the five previous calendar years. Such record may also\ninclude a copy of the entire registration poll record or application for\nregistration of each such voter.\n b. The board of elections maintains at least two copies of such\ncomputer readable records, which it stores in two different buildings.\n c. The computer generated registration list prepared for each election\nin each election district shall be prepared in a manner which meets or\nexceeds standards for clarity and speed of production established by the\nstate board of elections, shall be in a form approved by such board,\nshall include the names of all voters eligible to vote in such election\nand shall be in alphabetical order, except that, at a primary election,\nthe names of the voters enrolled in each political party may be placed\nin a separate part of the list or in a separate list, as the board of\nelections in its discretion, may determine. Such list shall contain,\nadjacent to each voter's name, or in a space so designated, at least the\nfollowing: street address, date of birth, party enrollment, year of\nregistration, a computer reproduced facsimile of the voter's signature\nor an indication that the voter is unable to sign his name, a place for\nthe voter to sign his name at such election and a place for the\ninspectors to mark the voting machine number, the public counter number\nif any, or the number of any paper ballots given the voter.\n d. The board of elections preserves, for as long as registration\nrecords are otherwise required to be preserved, the original application\nfor registration or registration poll record of every registered voter\nfiled in a manner which makes such records available for examination or,\nif the computer readable record for each registered voter maintained by\nthe board of elections includes a copy of the entire registration poll\nrecord or application for registration of each such voter, the board of\nelections preserves the original of each such poll record or application\nin such a manner for a period of at least two years, or such longer\nperiod as the state board of elections may require, after such copy is\nentered in the computer readable record or if such computer readable\nrecords do not include the backs of those registration poll records\nwhich have been used at one or more elections, the board preserves the\noriginal of each such poll record for a period of at least two years\nafter such copy is entered in such computer readable record or four\nyears after the last election at which such poll record was used,\nwhichever is later, or such longer period as the state board of\nelections may require.\n 4. After such inquiry as it deems appropriate, the state board of\nelections shall approve the applications of those boards of elections\nwhose systems meet the requirements established by this section and the\nregulations of the state board. Such boards may then discontinue\npreparation, use and maintenance of registration poll records.\n 5. If the state board of elections amends its regulations, a board of\nelections whose system was previously approved by the state board shall\nhave a reasonable time to conform to the new regulation.\n 6. If the state board of elections determines on its own initiative,\nor upon investigation of a complaint, that the system being used by a\nboard of elections is not in compliance with the requirements of this\nsection and the regulations of the state board, it shall order such\nboard of elections to comply forthwith.\n 7. If such a board of elections does not comply with the provisions of\nsubdivision six of this section, the state board shall issue an order\nwithdrawing permission to discontinue use of registration poll records\nand such board of elections shall be required to reinstitute use of such\nrecords on the first day of December following issuance of such an\norder.\n 8. No computer tape, computer disc or other record which can be used\nto reproduce such computer generated facsimile signatures shall be sold\nor otherwise distributed other than for use by a board of elections or\nupon the order of a court of competent jurisdiction. However all other\ndata contained on any such tape, disc or record shall be sold or\notherwise distributed in the same manner as other records of the board\nof elections.\n