Int. No. 2239

By Council Member Kallos

A Local Law in relation to establishing a poll site task force

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:

ADA. The term “ADA” means the Americans with disabilities act, chapter 126 of title 42 of the United States code and any applicable guidelines or regulations pursuant to such law.

Board of elections. The term “board of elections” means the board of elections in the city of New York.

City. The term “city” means the city of New York.

Task force. The term “task force” means the poll site task force established by this local law.

§ 2. Task force established. There is hereby established a task force to be known as the poll site task force.

§ 3. Duties. The task force shall study ways to improve efficiency and access to poll sites in the city, and shall make recommendations for future poll site locations. Those recommendations shall take into account the poll sites utilized in the 2020 presidential election, potential effects on the health and welfare of persons in the city, the projected costs of implementing any recommended programs, anticipated effects on stakeholders, and any other considerations the task force deems relevant.

§ 4. Membership. a. The task force shall be composed of the following members:

1. The president of the board of elections or such president’s designee, who shall serve as chair;

2. One commissioner of the board of elections from each borough or their designee, appointed by the mayor;

3. The chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York or their designee;

4. The commissioner of design and construction or their designee;

5. Two members appointed by the mayor; and

6. Two members appointed by the speaker of the council.

b. The mayor shall invite the president of the school construction authority to participate in the work of the task force, and may invite other officers and representatives of relevant federal, state and local agencies and authorities to participate in the work of the task force.

c. All appointments required by this section shall be made no later than 90 days after the effective date of this local law.

d. Each member of the task force shall serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed the member. In the event of a vacancy on the task force, a successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term. All members of the task force shall serve without compensation.

§ 5. Meetings. a. The chair shall convene the first meeting of the task force no later than 30 days after the last member has been appointed, except that where not all members of the task force have been appointed within the time specified in section four, the chair shall convene the first meeting of the task force within 10 days of the appointment of a quorum.

b. The task force may invite experts and stakeholders to attend its meetings and to provide testimony and information relevant to its duties.

c. The task force shall meet no less than once each month to carry out the duties described in section three.

d. The meeting requirement of subdivision c shall be suspended when the task force submits its report as required by section six.

§ 6. Report. a. No later than 270 days after the effective date of this local law, the task force shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council setting forth its recommendations for future poll site locations and ways to improve efficiency and accessibility at poll sites for elections in the city, and shall include but need not be limited to the following:

1. A list of poll sites where voters were required to wait more than thirty minutes to cast their ballots in the 2020 presidential election and any issues that contributed to the wait at such poll sites;

2. The costs for each poll site utilized in the 2020 presidential election incurred to make any temporary or permanent changes required to comply with the ADA;

3. A list of poll site locations considered for use during the 2020 presidential election by the board of elections, including:

i. Whether such locations were subsequently accepted or rejected by such board;

ii. The number of such newly accepted poll sites that made such building’s facilities available as a poll site;

iii. The number of such newly accepted poll sites that did not make such building’s facilities available as a poll site; and

iv. Whether a special proceeding was conducted pursuant to section 16-115 of the election law and whether any tax abatements were revoked pursuant to paragraphs 3-a and 3-b of section 4-104 of the election law for each poll site considered for use; and

4. A summary of any additional information the task force considered in formulating its recommendations.

b. The president of the board of elections shall publish the task force’s report electronically on the website of the board of elections no later than 10 days after its submission to the mayor and the speaker of the council.

§ 7. Agency support. Each agency affected by this local law shall provide appropriate staff and resources to support the work of such agency related to the task force.

§ 8. Termination. The task force shall terminate 180 days after the date on which it submits its report, as required by section six.

§ 9. Effective date. This local law takes effect immediately.

JEF

LS #16628

1/19/2021