STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         3141--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 4, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  MYRIE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Elections  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  election  law,  in  relation to watchers during
          election

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Section 8-500 of the election law, as amended by chapter 9
     2  of the laws of 1978, subdivisions 1 and 3 as amended by chapter  373  of
     3  the  laws  of  1978,  and subdivision 4 as amended by chapter 254 of the
     4  laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
     5    § 8-500. Watchers; provision for. 1. At any general, special, town  or
     6  village  election,  any party committee [or], any independent body whose
     7  candidates are upon the ballot, [and at any primary election, any two or
     8  more candidates and any political committee] and any political committee
     9  supporting or opposing a ballot proposal  may  have  for  each  election
    10  district  three  watchers at any one time, not more than one of whom may
    11  be within the guard rail at any one time. Watchers shall be appointed by
    12  the [chairman] chair or other officer of  any  such  party[,]  committee
    13  [or], independent body [or by the candidates] or political committee.
    14    2.  At  any primary election, any party committee and any candidate on
    15  the ballot may have for each election district three watchers at any one
    16  time, not more than one of whom may be within the guard rail at any  one
    17  time.  Watchers  shall be appointed by the chair or other officer of any
    18  such party committee or by any candidate.
    19    3. Watchers may be present at  the  polling  place  at  least  fifteen
    20  minutes  before  the  unlocking and examination of any voting machine or
    21  ballot box at the opening of the polls, until after the signing  of  the
    22  inspectors' returns and proclamation of the result.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07189-03-9

        S. 3141--A                          2

     1    [3.]  4.  The  appointment  of watchers for any election shall be by a
     2  certificate in writing issued by the [chairman or secretary of the poli-
     3  tical  party  or  independent  body,  or  the   candidates]   appointing
     4  authority.  Such  certificate  shall be delivered to an inspector at the
     5  election district.
     6    [4.]  5.  Each watcher must be a qualified voter of the city or county
     7  in which he or she is to serve. No person shall be appointed or act as a
     8  watcher who is a candidate for any public office to be voted for by  the
     9  voters of the election district in the same election in which the watch-
    10  er  is  to  serve.  Nothing  in  this  subdivision shall be construed as
    11  prohibiting any such candidate from visiting a  polling  place  in  such
    12  district on an election day while the polls are open.
    13    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.