Referred to: The Laws and Rules, Governmental Services Committee (Chairman

Richard Parete and Legislators Archer, Donaldson, Roberts, and Ronk)

Legislator Peter M. Loughran offers the following:

 WHEREAS, Senate Bill 7622 has been introduced in the 2013-2014

Legislative Session which requires the State to assume the cost of purchasing ballots

for general elections and primaries; and

 WHEREAS, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 mandated that States and

localities upgrade their election procedures, including the purchase of paper ballot

scanning machines which not only recorded a vote but also maintained paper ballot

records; and

 WHEREAS, the prior lever machines had relatively inexpensive rolls of paper

that could be easily removed and the votes physically counted; and

WHEREAS, the new scanner voter machines have expensive individual

ballots which scans the vote while at the same time stores the paper ballot; and

WHEREAS, Election Commissioners in all 62 Counties are mandated to

purchase ballots for 100% of the registered voters rather than estimate and purchase

individual ballots for the actual number of anticipated votes; and

WHEREAS, there are only two places where the ballots can be printed and

purchased, Phoenix Graphics and Fort Orange Press, with a cost range of 42 to 57

cents or higher per ballot; and

WHEREAS, all unused ballots are held for four months and then discarded;

and

 WHEREAS, on February 5, 2014, the New York State League of Women

Voters testified for the need of State monies to ensure the “acquisition of

technological tools that will provide an accurate, reliable, professional voting system

that will instill confidence in all voters”; and

WHEREAS, varying greatly from year-to-year, the cost for purchasing Ulster

County election ballots continues to be substantial, $52,249.04 in 2011, $90,493.98

in 2012, and $51,459.80 in 2013; and 

- Page 2 -

Resolution No. 191 June 17, 2014

Supporting The Passage Of New York State Senate Bill 7622, An

Act To Amend The Election Law, In Relation To Requiring The

State To Assume The Cost Of Purchasing Ballots For General

Elections And Primaries

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 7622 would provide relief to Ulster County by

reimbursing the County for the purchase of the individual ballots to be used in all

general and primary elections; now, therefore be it

 RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature urges the New York State

Governor and Legislature to ensure the passage of Senate Bill 7622; and, be it further

RESOLVED, the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward copies

of this resolution to Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York State Senate Majority CoLeader Dean Skelos, Majority Co-Leader Jeff Klein, Senate Minority Leader Andrea

Stewart-Cousins, Senate Election Committee Chair Thomas O’Mara, and Senators

William Larkin, Jr., John Bonacic, Cecelia Tkaczyk and James Seward, New York

State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle,

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, Assembly Election Law Committee Chair

Michael Cusick and Assemblymen Claudia Tenney, Peter Lopez, Kevin Cahill and

Frank Skartados,

and moves its adoption.

 ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

 AYES: NOES:

No Action Taken by Committee: Laws and Rules, Governmental Services on June

16, 2014

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE