A 1143: Establishes an electronic military ballot application and military ballot transmittal system through which applicants may apply for a military ballot and return a marked military ballot, online.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1143 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER, HAWLEY, BRABENEC, DeSTEFANO, STERN, MANKTELOW, SIMON, STIRPE, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, TAPIA, HUNTER, CRUZ, MAGNAR- ELLI, McDONOUGH, WALSH, ANGELINO, MILLER, SAYEGH, RAMOS, LEMONDES, SEAWRIGHT, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. TAGUE, ZINERMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to establishing an elec- tronic military ballot application and military ballot transmittal system 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 10-110 2 to read as follows: 3 § 10-110. Military voters; electronic military ballot application and 4 military ballot transmittal system. 1. In addition to any other means of 5 application for a military ballot and return of a marked military ballot 6 provided for by this chapter, the state board of elections shall estab- 7 lish and maintain an electronic military ballot application and military 8 ballot transmittal system through which applicants may apply for a mili- 9 tary ballot and return a marked military ballot, online. The state board 10 of elections shall electronically transmit such applications and marked 11 ballots to the applicable board of elections of each county or the city 12 of New York for filing, processing and verification consistent with this 13 chapter. In accordance with technical specifications provided by the 14 state board of elections, each board of elections shall maintain a 15 system capable of receiving and processing military ballot application 16 and marked military ballot information, including digital signatures, 17 from the electronic voter registration transmittal system established by 18 the state board of elections. Notwithstanding any other inconsistent 19 provision of this chapter, applications and ballots filed using such 20 system shall be considered filed with the applicable board of elections 21 on the calendar date such application or ballot is initially transmitted EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01975-01-5 
 A. 1143 2 1 by the voter through the electronic military ballot application and 2 military ballot transmittal system. 3 2. As used in this article, the term "digital signature" shall mean 4 the certificate-based digital identification code issued to qualified 5 personnel by the United States department of defense as part of the 6 common access card or its successor. 7 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 10-107 of the election law, as added by 8 chapter 104 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: 9 2. Irrespective of the preferred method of transmission designated by 10 a military voter, a military voter's original completed voter registra- 11 tion application, military ballot application and military ballot must 12 be returned by mail, the electronic military ballot application and 13 military ballot transmittal system established pursuant to section 14 10-110 of this article or in person notwithstanding that a prior copy 15 was sent to the board of elections by facsimile transmission or elec- 16 tronic mail. 17 § 3. Section 10-112 of the election law, as amended by chapter 104 of 18 the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: 19 § 10-112. Military voter; voting. The military voter shall either: 20 1. mark the military ballot provided for in this article in the same 21 manner as an absentee ballot. After marking the ballot, [he or she] such 22 military voter shall fold such ballot and enclose it in the inner affir- 23 mation envelope bearing the military voter's affirmation on the outside 24 of the envelope and seal the envelope. [He or she] Such military voter 25 shall then sign the affirmation, with the blanks properly filled in. The 26 inner affirmation envelope containing the military ballot shall then be 27 inserted in the outer envelope addressed to the appropriate board of 28 elections, which shall be mailed or personally delivered to such board 29 of elections of [his or her] their county of residence within the time 30 limits provided by this chapter; or 31 2. utilize the electronic military ballot application and military 32 ballot transmittal system established pursuant to section 10-110 of this 33 article to mark, sign with such military voter's digital signature and 34 return the military ballot provided for in this article. 35 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.