New York Statutes § 16-106 Proceedings as to the casting and canvass of ballots

Statute Text

1. The post-election refusal to cast:

(a) challenged ballots, blank ballots, or void ballots;

(b) early mail, absentee, military, special, or federal write-in ballots;

(d) ballots voted in affidavit envelopes may be contested in a proceeding instituted in the supreme or county court, by any candidate or the chairman of any party committee, and by any voter with respect to the refusal to cast such voter's ballot, against the board of canvassers of the returns from such district, if any, and otherwise against the board of inspectors of election of such district. If the court determines that the person who cast such ballot was entitled to vote at such election, it shall order such ballot to be cast and canvassed, including if the court finds that ministerial error by the board of elections or any of its employees caused such ballot envelope not to be valid on its face.

2. The canvass of returns by the state, or county, city, town or village board of canvassers may be contested, in a proceeding instituted in the supreme court by any voter, except a proceeding on account of the failure of the state board of canvassers to act upon new returns of a board of canvassers of any county made pursuant to the order of a court or justice, which may be instituted only by a candidate aggrieved or a voter in the county.

3. The attorney general, on behalf of the state, and the chairman of the state committee of a party, may institute any proceeding allowed herein relating to the returns of canvass by inspectors upon the vote of any ballot proposal submitted to the people of the state.

4. The court shall ensure the strict and uniform application of the election law and shall not permit or require the altering of the schedule or procedures in section 9-209 of this chapter but may direct a recanvass or the correction of an error, or the performance of any duty imposed by [law] this chapter on such a state, county, city, town or village board of inspectors, or canvassers.

5. In the event procedural irregularities or other facts arising during the election suggest a change or altering of the canvass schedule, as provided for in section 9-209 of this chapter, may be warranted, a candidate may seek an order for temporary or preliminary injunctive relief or an impound order halting or altering the canvassing schedule of early mail, absentee, military, special or affidavit ballots. Upon any such application, the board or boards of elections have a right to be heard. To obtain such relief, the petitioner must meet the criteria in article sixty-three of the civil practice law and rules and show by clear and convincing evidence, that, because of procedural irregularities or other facts arising during the election, the petitioner will be irreparably harmed absent such relief. For the purposes of this section, allegations that opinion polls show that an election is close is insufficient to show irreparable harm to a petitioner by clear and convincing evidence.

6. A proceeding under subdivisions one and three of this section must be instituted within twenty days and under subdivision two, within thirty days after the election or alleged erroneous statement or determination was made, or the time when the board shall have acted in the particulars as to which it is claimed to have failed to perform its duty, except that such a proceeding with respect to a village election must be instituted within ten days after such election, statement, determination or action.

History

Amended by New York Laws 2023 , ch. 481 , Sec. 30 , eff. 1/1/2024 , op. to any general, primary, run-off primary, or special election held after 1/1/2024 .

Amended by New York Laws 2022 , ch. 117 , Sec. 1 , eff. 2/24/2022 .

Amended by New York Laws 2021 , ch. 763 , Sec. 5 , eff. 4/1/2022 , app. to elections held on or after 4/1/2022 .

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Prior Versions of This Statute

Version of § 16-106 dated 10/30/2024