Henry Berger

The meeting was held to review petitions and staff-led findings regarding prima facie review calendars and specifications of objections for state senate and assembly member petitions. The board voted unanimously to accept the report as presented by the staff.

The meeting addressed amendments to the voter registration form and instructions, specifically incorporating new language options for Tagalog, Malayalam, and Urdu to comply with the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and clarifying identification requirements in Section 13. Additionally, the board discussed and adopted a resolution regarding an upgrade to the electronic poll book system, following the successful completion of functional and security testing.

The Board of Canvassers met initially to certify election results from the November 4, 2025, General Election. Subsequently, the meeting reconvened as the Commissioners of the New York State Board of Elections. Unit updates covered Online and Automatic Voter Registration, the State Board Training Institute curriculum development, and support provided to county boards for new voting equipment acceptance testing. The Legal unit reported on litigation and compliance statistics, emphasizing process simplification for stakeholders. The Enforcement Division detailed several closed investigations. New Business included the unanimous approval of several resolutions for the final adoption of amendments to NYCRR Subtitle V regulations concerning Fair Campaign Code Proceedings, Standards for Determining Valid Write-In Votes, Voter Registration Transmittal Submission, and Conflicts of Interest Among Board of Elections Employees. Additionally, the Board voted on Fair Campaign Code Complaint Matters and approved an Advisory Opinion regarding Campaign Finance Security Expenses, while rejecting one complaint matter.

This document outlines twenty-two legislative proposals by the New York State Board of Elections for the year 2026. The proposals aim to enhance the administration of elections in New York State by addressing areas such as voter access, election process modernization, campaign finance regulations, and operational efficiencies for election officials and municipal clerks. Key proposals include provisions for special ballots, repeal of local registration, updated campaign finance attribution and limits, revised poll worker requirements, and the consolidation of election processes under a statewide voter registration system.

The Board of Canvassers convened to certify election results from the November 4, 2025, General Election. Following adjournment of the Board of Canvassers, the Commissioners met. Unit updates covered Online and Automatic Voter Registration, curriculum development for poll worker training, and support provided to county boards leading up to the General Election, including acceptance testing for new voting equipment. The Legal unit reported on litigation updates and compliance management focused on updating training and simplifying procedures. The Enforcement Division detailed several closed investigations. The PIO/NVRA unit discussed county board outreach, website updates, and grants. The IT unit reported on ongoing network infrastructure replacement and the implementation of a new phone system. New Business included unanimous votes for the final adoption of four resolutions regarding Fair Campaign Code Proceedings, Standards for Determining Valid Write-In Votes, Voter Registration Transmittal Submission, and Conflicts of Interest Among Board of Elections Employees. There was also a vote to commence Testing of Enhanced Audit, version 2026, and votes on Fair Campaign Code Complaint Matters, one of which was rejected.