Section 1057-A. Agency based voter registration


Latest version.
  • Each agency designated as a
      participating   agency  under  the  provisions  of  this  section  shall
      implement and administer a program of distribution of voter registration
      forms pursuant to the provisions of this section. The following  offices
      are  hereby designated as participating voter registration agencies: The
      administration for children's services, the  city  clerk,  the  civilian
      complaint  review  board,  the  commission  on  human  rights, community
      boards, the department of small business  services,  the  department  of
      citywide  administrative  services,  the department of consumer affairs,
      the  department  of  correction,   the   department   of   environmental
      protection,  the  department  of  finance,  the department of health and
      mental hygiene, the department of homeless services, the  department  of
      housing  preservation  and  development,  the  department  of  parks and
      recreation,  the  department  of  probation,  the  taxi  and   limousine
      commission, the department of transportation and the department of youth
      and  community  development.  Participating  agencies  shall  include  a
      mandate in all new  or  renewed  agreements  with  those  subcontractors
      having  regular  contact  with the public in the daily administration of
      their  business  to  follow  the  guidelines  of  this   section.   Such
      participating  agencies  shall  be  required to offer voter registration
      forms to all persons together with written  applications  for  services,
      renewal  or  recertification for services and change of address relating
      to such services; provided however that this section shall not apply  to
      services  that must be provided to prevent actual or potential danger to
      the life, health, or safety of any individual or  of  the  public.  Such
      agencies  may  provide  assistance  to  applicants  in  completing voter
      registration forms, if so requested. Such agencies may  also,  in  their
      discretion, receive and transmit the completed application form from any
      applicants  who  wish  to  have  such  form  transmitted to the board of
      elections for the city of New York.
        1. Participating agencies shall adopt such rules  and  regulations  as
      may  be  necessary  to  implement  this section. The New York city voter
      assistance commission shall  prepare  and  distribute  to  participating
      agencies  written advisory agency guidelines as to the implementation of
      this section and  may  establish  training  programs  for  employees  of
      participating   agencies.   Participating  agencies  may  consider  such
      advisory agency guidelines  in  the  promulgation  of  their  rules  and
      regulations.
        2.   Participating   agencies   shall  provide  and  distribute  voter
      registration forms to all persons together with written applications for
      services, renewal or recertification for services and change of  address
      relating  to such services; provided however that this section shall not
      apply to services that must be provided to prevent actual  or  potential
      danger  to  life,  health  or safety of any individual or of the public.
      Participating agency staff may provide assistance  in  completing  these
      distributed  voter  registration  forms,  if so requested. Participating
      agencies shall also include a voter registration form  with  any  agency
      communication  sent  through  the  United States mail for the purpose of
      supplying clients  with  application,  renewal  or  recertification  for
      services  and  change  of  address  relating to such services materials.
      Participating agencies shall also incorporate an opportunity to  request
      a  voter  registration  application  into  any application for services,
      renewal or recertification for services and change of  address  relating
      to  such  services provided on computer terminals, the World Wide Web or
      the Internet. Any person indicating that they wish to be  sent  a  voter
      registration  form,  via  computer  terminals, the World Wide Web or the
      Internet shall be sent such a  form  by  the  participating  agency,  or
      directed to a bank on that system where such a form may be downloaded.
    
        3. Participating agencies shall also:
        a. at the earliest practicable or next regularly scheduled printing of
      their  forms,  physically  incorporate the voter registration forms with
      their  own  application  forms  in  a  manner  that  permits  the  voter
      registration  portion to be detached therefrom. Until such time when the
      agency amends its form, each agency should affix or  include  a  postage
      paid board of elections for the city of New York voter registration form
      to  or  with  its  application,  renewal,  recertification and change of
      address forms;
        b. use the board of elections of the city  of  New  York  coded  voter
      registration  forms  which  designate  such  forms  as  originating from
      participating agencies: and
        c. transmit any completed forms collected in their discretion  to  the
      board  of  elections  of  the  city  of New York within two weeks of the
      receipt of such completed  forms  at  the  participating  agency.  If  a
      completed  form  is  accepted  within  five days before the last day for
      registration to vote in a citywide election, such completed  form  shall
      be  transmitted by the participating agency to the board of elections of
      the city of New York  not  later  than  five  days  after  the  date  of
      acceptance.
        4.  All persons seeking voter registration forms and information shall
      be advised in writing together with other written materials provided  by
      agencies  or  by  appropriate publicity that government services are not
      conditioned on being registered to vote. No statement shall be made  nor
      any  action taken by an agency employee to discourage the applicant from
      registering to vote or to enroll in any particular political party.
        5. The completion of the voter registration form by  an  applicant  is
      voluntary.
        6.  Employees of a participating agency who provide voter registration
      assistance shall not:
        a. seek to influence an  applicant's  political  preference  or  party
      designation;
        b. display any political preference or party allegiance;
        c.  make  any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose
      or effect of which is to discourage the applicant  from  registering  to
      vote; or
        d.  make  any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose
      or effect of which is to lead the applicant to believe that  a  decision
      to  register  or  not to register has any bearing on the availability of
      services or benefits.
        7. Each participating agency, department,  division  and  office  that
      makes  available  voter  registration  forms  shall  prominently display
      promotional materials designed and approved by the  board  of  elections
      for  the  city  of New York or state board of elections for use in state
      agency programs.