On June 21, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation enabling voters to receive bottled water and snacks while waiting to cast their ballots on Primary Day. This move aims to address the extreme heat conditions in New York, with weather forecasts predicting high temperatures. The law repeals a prior section of New York's Election Law, which penalized individuals for providing small-value items at polling sites, thus eliminating barriers to voting and ensuring voter comfort and accessibility during the electoral process.
With high voter turnout and record-breaking temperatures on Primary day, New Yorkers will no longer have to worry about being arrested if someone gives them water or a snack while waiting in line. Voting shouldn't be an endurance test. This bill removes an outdated barrier and restores common sense to exercising the franchise.
The new legislation, which State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-20) of Brooklyn sponsored, repeals an outdated section of New York's New York State Election Law Section 17-140, which allowed for criminal penalties against individuals who provided items of small value to entice voters at polling sites, including food and water.
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