US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

 
    § 1057-a. Agency based voter registration. 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.