Bill > A05368

This bill amends the election law to provide a detailed process for handling damaged or defective ballots during elections. The legislation establishes a comprehensive procedure where ballots that are torn, bent, or otherwise damaged will be identified and set aside for duplication. When a ballot is deemed defective, an election official or a team of witnesses from opposing political parties will carefully examine the original ballot to determine the voter's intended choices. They will then create a new "duplicate" ballot that copies the voter's selections, clearly marking it as a duplicate and assigning it a unique serial number that is also recorded on the original damaged ballot. These duplicate ballots will be scanned by vote tabulation machines and preserved as part of the official election record. The bill aims to ensure that voter intent is preserved and that damaged ballots do not result in disenfranchisement, while also maintaining transparency and integrity in the ballot duplication process by requiring bipartisan oversight.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5368