Assembly BillIntroduced
A 2457: Requires the board of elections to provide Russian interpreters at certain polling locations in cities having a population in excess of one million people.
What A 2457 does, verified January 8, 2026
The bill aims to improve voting accessibility for Russian-speaking voters in New York City. It requires the Board of Elections to provide Russian interpreters at polling locations in areas with high concentrations of Russian-speaking residents. This provision applies to cities with a population of over one million people, which contain counties with a significant percentage of Russian-speaking residents. Russian-speaking voters who need assistance can be accompanied by a relative who can interpret for them. The bill takes effect immediately and applies to all elections conducted on or after its effective date.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: referred to election law (2026-01-07)Alert me
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions2 total · showing 2
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to election law |
| Jan. 17, 2025 | referred to election law |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, January 17, 2025 · 339 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2457 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. COLTON, ROZIC, MILLER, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, WILLIAMS, RIVERA, COOK, R. CARROLL, SAYEGH, WEPRIN, TAYLOR, DAVILA, SIMON, SEAWRIGHT -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HEVESI, HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to requiring the board of elections to provide Russian interpreters to certain polling locations in cities having a population in excess of one million people The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 5-216 of the election law is 2 amended to read as follows: 3 2. a. If the applicant be a person who does not speak the English 4 language, [he] the applicant may be assisted by a relative who can 5 interpret for [him] the applicant. If the applicant registers with this 6 assistance the board shall put in the remarks space of the registration 7 forms the name and address, and the relationship, of the person so doing 8 the interpreting and the interpreter shall sign [his] the interpreter's 9 name in the remarks space. 10 b. In any city having a population of one million or more people, 11 which contains any county that has a population comprised of five 12 percent or more of people whose first language is Russian within such 13 county, the board of elections shall provide Russian interpreters at 14 polling locations in those election districts within each such county in 15 the city having a population comprised of five percent or more people 16 whose first language is Russian. 17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to all 18 elections conducted on or after such effective date. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD03891-01-5
Text of A 2457 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions