Proposed Res. No. 1033-A
Title
Resolution urging the Senate to pass and the Governor to sign State Assembly Bill 8842 (A.8842), a bill that would implement certain mandates of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and amend the election law in New York State by, among other things, establishing a detailed list of voter identification forms for new registrants and providing for a statewide computerized voter registration list.
Body
By Council Members Perkins, Barron, Comrie, Foster, Jackson, Quinn, Rivera, Sanders and Yassky.
Whereas, The 2000 presidential elections and the subsequent vote recount ignited scrutiny of the adequacy of voting standards throughout the nation and precipitated voluminous discussion on a wide range of topics, including voter access to polls, registration and registration roll issues, voter discrimination and lost vote rates; and
Whereas, Two of the highest lost vote rates in the nation during the 2000 elections were 4.4% in Miami-Dade County, Florida and 4.0% in Brooklyn, New York; and
Whereas, New York City is in need of electoral reform because of its troubling voting history requiring three of its five counties to be subject to preclearance under the Voting Rights Act due to historical discrimination against black and Latino and other minority voters; and
Whereas, To respond to this antiquated, dilapidated and, within certain areas, discriminatory state of the voting process within the nation, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which was promoted as a bi-partisan reform package; and
Whereas, Assembly Member RoAnn M. Destito introduced Assembly Bill 8842 ("A.8842"), a bill that would implement certain mandates of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and amend the electoral law in New York State; and
Whereas, A.8842 would, among other things, amend the current election law by establishing a detailed list of voter identification forms for new registrants, providing an affidavit ballot for those registrants who do not meet the new voter identification requirements, requiring a statewide computerized voter registration list and authorizing the state Board of Elections to administer a system through which a voter's registration record may be kept confidential; and
Whereas, The New York State Assembly passed A.8842 on June 17, 2003, whereupon it was delivered to the Senate; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges the Senate to pass and the Governor to sign Assembly Bill 8842 (A.8842), a bill that would implement certain mandates of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and amend the election law in New York State by, among other things, establishing a detailed list of voter identification forms for new registrants and provide for a statewide computerized voter registration list.
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9/29/03 4:31 PM