A 4095: Requires persons administering challenge oaths to voter applicants to attest that the challenge is being made in good faith and to provide certain identifying information; requires challenge oaths to be presented to a challenged voter applicant in writing.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4095 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 31, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES, JACOBSON, R. CARROLL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Election Law AN ACT to amend to the election law, in relation to the administration of challenge oaths to voter applicants The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 8-502 of the election law, as amended by chapter 2 481 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 8-502. Challenges; generally. 1. Before [his] their vote is cast at 4 an election any person may be challenged as to [his] their right to 5 vote, or [his] their right to vote by early mail, absentee, military, 6 special federal or special presidential ballot. Such challenge may be 7 made by an inspector or clerk, by any duly appointed watcher, or by any 8 registered voter properly in the polling place. An inspector shall chal- 9 lenge every person offering to vote, whom [he] the inspector shall know 10 or suspect is not entitled to vote in the district, and every person 11 whose name appears on the list of persons to be challenged on election 12 day which is furnished by the board of elections. 13 2. Prior to making a challenge to a voter as provided in this section, 14 the person challenging the voter's right to vote shall: 15 (a) take a verbal oath in the presence of an inspector, clerk or duly 16 appointed watcher affirming that the person is making the challenge in 17 good faith and is aware that a bad faith challenge could lead to penal- 18 ties and consequences; and 19 (b) complete a written document in such form as is approved by the 20 state board of elections stating the challenger's name and address and 21 the name of the voter who was challenged. 22 § 2. Section 8-504 of the election law, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, and 4 as 23 renumbered by chapter 373 of the laws of 1978, subdivision 4 as amended 24 by chapter 9 of the laws of 1978, subdivision 5 as amended by chapter 82 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07945-01-5 
 A. 4095 2 1 of the laws of 1982 and subdivisions 5, 6, and 7 as renumbered by chap- 2 ter 103 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 8-504. Challenges; of voter at the polling place. 1. When an appli- 4 cant is challenged, an inspector shall [administer to him] provide to 5 the applicant the following oath, which shall be known as "The prelimi- 6 nary oath": "You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will make true 7 answers to such questions as may be put to you concerning your quali- 8 fications as a voter". If the applicant shall refuse to take such oath 9 [he] the applicant shall not be permitted to vote. 10 2. If the applicant shall take the preliminary oath, the inspector 11 shall ask the applicant such questions as may pertain to the reason 12 [his] the applicant's right to vote at such election in such district 13 was challenged. If any applicant shall refuse to answer fully any ques- 14 tions which may be put to [him, he] the applicant, the applicant shall 15 not be permitted to vote. 16 3. After receiving the answers as above specified, of any applicant, 17 the board shall, if it believes the applicant to be qualified or the 18 challenge is withdrawn, permit [him] the applicant to vote. Otherwise, 19 the board shall point out to [him] the applicant the qualifications, if 20 any, in respect of which [he] the applicant shall appear deficient. If, 21 after such deficiencies have been so indicated, the applicant shall 22 persist in [his] the applicant's claim to vote, an inspector shall 23 [administer to him] provide the applicant the following oath, which 24 shall be known as "The Qualification Oath": "You do swear (or affirm) 25 that you are eighteen years of age, that you are a citizen of the United 26 States and that you have been a resident of this state, and of this 27 county (of the city of New York) (village) for thirty days next preced- 28 ing this election, that you still reside at the same address from which 29 you have been duly registered in this election district, that you have 30 not voted at this election, and that you do not know of any reason why 31 you are not qualified to vote at this election. You do further declare 32 that you are aware that it is a crime to make any false statement. That 33 all the statements you have made to the board have been true and that 34 you understand that a false statement is perjury and you will be guilty 35 of a misdemeanor." 36 4. If the applicant shall be challenged for the causes stated in 37 section three of article two of the constitution of this state, which 38 would exclude [him] the applicant from the right to vote, such inspector 39 shall [administer to him] provide the applicant the following additional 40 oath, which shall be known as "The Bribery Oath": "You do swear (or 41 affirm) that you have not received or offered, do not expect to receive, 42 have not paid, offered or promised to pay or contributed, offered or 43 promised to contribute to another, to be paid or used; any money or any 44 other valuable thing as a compensation or reward for the giving or with- 45 holding of a vote at this election, and have not made any promise to 46 influence the giving or withholding of any such vote, and that you have 47 not made, or become directly or indirectly interested in any bet or 48 wager depending upon the result of this election." 49 5. If the applicant shall be challenged on the ground of having been 50 adjudged incompetent, such inspector shall [administer to him] provide 51 the applicant the following additional oath, which shall be known as 52 "The Incompetency Oath": "You do swear (or affirm) that you have not 53 been adjudged incompetent by order of competent judicial authority, or 54 if so adjudged, that you have since been adjudged competent which fully 55 warrants your right to vote." 
 A. 4095 3 1 6. If any [person] applicant shall refuse to take any oath so tendered 2 [he] such applicant shall not be permitted to vote, but if [he] the 3 applicant shall take the oath or oaths tendered to [him he] the appli- 4 cant, the applicant shall be permitted to vote. 5 6-a. Challenge oaths described in this section shall be administered 6 to a challenged applicant by delivery by the challenger to the applicant 7 of a written document in a form as is approved by the state board of 8 elections which sets forth the applicable oath and provides a space for 9 the applicant to sign and date the document. An applicant who signs the 10 document or documents, as applicable, shall be deemed to have taken the 11 oath and shall be permitted to vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a 12 challenge oath may be administered by the challenger orally if the chal- 13 lenged applicant is illiterate, has difficulty reading or does not 14 understand the written oath or specifically requests that the oath or 15 oaths be read to the applicant verbally. 16 7. The inspectors shall enter the challenge date in the space reserved 17 therefor on the back of the voter's registration poll record and shall 18 make a record of each challenge on the challenge report as required 19 herein. Where registration poll records are not being used, the inspec- 20 tors shall in the remarks column for the election opposite the name of 21 the voter enter a note of the challenge and shall make a record of each 22 challenge on the challenge report. 23 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 24 it shall have become a law and shall apply to all elections occurring on 25 or after such effective date. Effective immediately the addition, amend- 26 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen- 27 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 28 completed on or before such date.