Bill Text: NY S04370 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to mandatory training curriculum for election commissioners and key staff of boards of elections and to model poll worker training programs; requires the state board of elections to develop and provide to each county materials for a model poll worker training program which the counties may use to train individuals to serve as poll workers in state and county elections.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO ELECTIONS [S04370 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S04370-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4370 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 10, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Elections AN ACT to amend the election law, in relation to mandatory training curriculum for election commissioners, key staff of boards of elections and poll workers 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 3-213 2 to read as follows: 3 § 3-213. Boards of elections; mandatory training curriculum. 1. 4 Election commissioners and such other board of elections employees as 5 determined by the state board of elections shall within six months after 6 their first appointment complete a course of instruction on the opera- 7 tion of a board of elections which shall be provided by the state board 8 of elections. The curriculum shall be established by the state board of 9 elections in consultation with election commissioners and shall not 10 exceed thirty hours of instruction. 11 2. Annually, election commissioners and other board of elections 12 employees as determined by the state board of elections, shall complete 13 before June first a continuing course of instruction on the operation of 14 a board of elections which shall be provided by the state board of 15 elections. The curriculum shall be established by the state board of 16 elections in consultation with the election commissioners and shall not 17 exceed three hours of instruction. 18 3. The state board of elections shall provide the training required by 19 subdivision two of this section through, in addition to other methods it 20 may choose, a web-based recorded format. 21 4. Upon the failure of a commissioner or other employee to complete 22 the instruction within the time required by this section, the state 23 board of elections shall send a letter to the county legislature or city EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06192-01-7S. 4370 2 1 council and the respective county party chair of the jurisdiction of the 2 commissioner stating the delinquency. 3 § 2. Subdivision 1-a of section 3-412 of the election law, as added 4 by chapter 181 of the laws of 2005, is amended and three new subdivi- 5 sions 1-b, 1-c and 1-d are added to read as follows: 6 1-a. The state board of elections shall establish a mandatory core 7 curriculum for poll worker training which includes the requirements in 8 subdivision two of this section, [as amended by a chapter of the laws of92005,] and the rights of voters at the polls and obligation of election 10 workers to protect those rights while maintaining the integrity of the 11 franchise, including assisting voters with disabilities or with limited 12 or no proficiency in the English language, handling, processing and 13 entitlement to ballots, including affidavit and emergency ballots, prop- 14 er identification requirements, procedures to be followed with respect 15 to voters whose names are not on the list of registered voters or whose 16 identities have not been verified, electioneering and other violations 17 of the elective franchise as defined in this chapter, solicitation by 18 individuals and groups at the polling place and procedures to be 19 followed after the polls close. Each board of elections shall augment 20 the core curriculum with local procedures not inconsistent with the core 21 curriculum adopted by the state board of elections and which includes 22 procedures relating to proper operation of, and remedying problems with, 23 the voting machine or system in use in that jurisdiction. 24 1-b. The state board of elections shall establish and host an educa- 25 tion and training institute which shall be responsible for the develop- 26 ment and implementation of a statewide program wherein persons can 27 become certified poll worker trainers. This institute shall also create 28 a train-the-trainer program, in order for county boards of elections to 29 implement an effective training program at their respective local level 30 of program delivery. The state board's trainers shall include in the 31 trainer curriculum to be developed, attention to, inter alia, poll work- 32 er ability to serve a diverse electorate with complete confidence and 33 respect; professionalizing the delivery of all election day services; 34 providing assistance to voters with disabilities and those with limited 35 English language proficiency, ensuring the dignity and privacy of such 36 individuals; and to individuals who are members of racial or ethnic 37 minorities, complete familiarity and comfort with all voting systems in 38 use in poll sites, including ballot marking devices or other 39 systems/services available to voters with disabilities; and poll worker 40 ability to recognize and resolve a variety of issues which may arise in 41 poll sites. The state board's trainers and all certified poll worker 42 instructors shall utilize industry-proven training techniques aimed at 43 adult learners including role-based training and hands-on training 44 opportunities using official election day forms and poll site voting 45 systems and may further include a web-based component and companion 46 video. 47 1-c. County boards shall enroll trainers in the program in such quan- 48 tities to ensure that an adequate contingent of fully trained and certi- 49 fied poll worker trainers are available to meet the training needs of 50 such county. Each county board of elections shall enroll not less than 51 two persons designated by the county board on a bipartisan basis, in the 52 state board of elections training institute. Certified trainers must 53 maintain their certification by attending once every two years, a 54 continuing education program, to ensure the professionalism of the poll 55 worker training agenda set by the state board of elections. Enrollees 56 who have successfully completed the state board's training program andS. 4370 3 1 been awarded a "certified poll worker instructor" certificate may serve 2 at the county board as a trainer of poll workers as well as a trainer of 3 other bi-partisan designees of the county board, however the conferring 4 of the title "certified poll worker instructor" may be made only by the 5 state board of elections. 6 1-d. The state board of elections shall adopt such rules and regu- 7 lations which may be necessary to create the training institute and 8 associated curricula provided for in subdivisions one-a, one-b and one-c 9 of this section, including a process whereby attendees who successfully 10 complete a state board-sponsored training program shall be awarded a 11 certificate conferring upon him or her, the title of "certified poll 12 worker instructor". 13 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 14 it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate- 15 ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation 16 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are 17 authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such 18 effective date.
