Repeals provisions criminalizing the furnishing of items with a nominal value to induce attendance at polls.
Summary
This bill repeals section 17-140 of the New York Election Law, which currently makes it unlawful to furnish money or entertainment to induce people to attend the polls. In practical terms, the measure would remove a specific criminal prohibition tied to providing low-value items or entertainment in connection with encouraging voter turnout at polling places.
The bill is narrowly drafted and does not create a new regulatory scheme; instead, it eliminates an existing election-law offense. If enacted, it would change the legal treatment of certain voter-engagement activities by removing this particular statutory restriction, while leaving other election-integrity and anti-bribery laws in place. The repeal would take effect immediately.
Impact
By repealing Election Law section 17-140, the bill would remove a criminal provision that has historically restricted furnishing money or entertainment to induce attendance at the polls. This would affect candidates, campaigns, civic organizations, and others involved in voter outreach by eliminating one specific statutory basis for prosecution related to inducements connected to polling-place attendance. The bill would amend state election law by deleting the section entirely, but it would not itself authorize vote buying or other forms of unlawful election influence that may still be covered elsewhere in law.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be presented as a targeted election-law cleanup or reform bill, with no recorded committee debate or votes in the materials provided. The sponsors and caption suggest a policy preference for removing an outdated or overly broad restriction on nominal-value items used to encourage turnout. Because there is no transcript or voting history here, there is no documented opposition or support beyond the introduction of the bill itself.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely to be whether repealing this provision would improve voter engagement by allowing modest, non-coercive turnout incentives, or whether it would weaken safeguards against improper inducements at polling places. Supporters would likely argue that the law is outdated or unnecessarily restrictive when applied to nominal-value items, while critics may worry that removing the prohibition could blur the line between permissible outreach and election-related inducements. No specific opposing stakeholders or arguments are identified in the provided materials.
Provides that a person who did not receive the nomination of a party in a caucus, may file a certificate of declination to a designation or nomination with respect to that office which the person had filed a designating petition of another party or had received the nomination after a primary or to a nomination of another party decided at a caucus within ten days after the certificate of nomination made pursuant to the caucus which the person had lost is filed.