A 4449: Prohibits ballot harvesting; prohibits a person from submitting an application for an absentee ballot on behalf of a voter without notarized consent; permits family members, caregivers and other officials to submit applications.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4449 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 4, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MOLITOR -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Election Law AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to prohibiting ballot harvesting 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 8-418 2 to read as follows: 3 § 8-418. Ballot harvesting prohibited. 1. It shall be an unlawful 4 practice for any person to engage in ballot harvesting. For purposes of 5 this section, ballot harvesting shall include: 6 (a) the making or submission of an application for an absentee ballot, 7 pursuant to section 8-400 of this article, on behalf of another voter, 8 unless done in accordance with subdivision two of this section; and 9 (b) the collection, distribution or submission to a board of 10 elections, of voted or unvoted absentee ballots, unless done in accord- 11 ance with subdivision three of this section. 12 2. A person may submit an application for an absentee ballot on behalf 13 of another voter, if the voter has signed the absentee ballot applica- 14 tion, and if: 15 (a) the person submitting such application for an absentee ballot on 16 behalf of the other voter, is a family member of the other voter, within 17 three degrees of consanguinity; or 18 (b) a voter has executed a signed, written, notarized consent, not 19 more than thirty days prior to the date of the application, authorizing 20 the person submitting the application for an absentee ballot to do so on 21 the voter's behalf, and such person submitting the application for an 22 absentee ballot on such other voter's behalf also files such signed, 23 written, notarized consent with the local board of elections at the time 24 of submitting such application for the absentee ballot, and such person 25 submitting the application for an absentee ballot on the other voter's EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD04489-01-5 
 A. 4449 2 1 behalf has not submitted any other absentee ballot application on behalf 2 of any other voter under this subdivision. 3 3. A person may collect, distribute or submit to a board of elections, 4 a voted or unvoted absentee ballot, if such person collecting, distrib- 5 uting or submitting such ballot is: 6 (a) a family member of the voter, to whom the absentee ballot belongs, 7 within three degrees of consanguinity; or 8 (b) a caregiver of the voter, to whom the absentee ballot belongs, if 9 such voter has filed with the board of elections, a signed, written, 10 notarized statement executed by the voter, that such person so collect- 11 ing, distributing and/or submitting the ballot on the voter's behalf, is 12 in fact a caregiver of the voter, with permission to collect, distribute 13 and/or submit such voter's absentee ballot; or 14 (c) an election official employed by the board of elections, who at 15 the time of the collection, distribution or submission of such absentee 16 ballot, was exclusively engaged in and performing their official duties; 17 or 18 (d) a United States postal service employee, who at the time of the 19 collection, distribution or submission of such absentee ballot, was 20 exclusively engaged in and performing their official duties; or 21 (e) a delivery courier hired by the voter whose ballot is being 22 collected, distributed or submitted, who at the time of the collection, 23 distribution or submission of such absentee ballot, was exclusively 24 engaged in and performing their official duties. 25 § 2. The election law is amended by adding a new section 17-172 to 26 read as follows: 27 § 17-172. Ballot harvesting. 1. Any person who willfully engages in 28 unlawful ballot harvesting, pursuant to section 8-418 of this chapter, 29 shall be guilty of a class D felony. 30 2. Any person who engages in unlawful ballot harvesting, pursuant to 31 section 8-418 of this chapter, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 32 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed- 33 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.