STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 4969
with Assembly Floor Amendments
(Proposed by Assemblywoman PETERPAUL)
ADOPTED: DECEMBER 19, 2024
These Assembly floor amendments specify that, when assessing
whether a mark made on the ballot indicates the voter’s intention to
vote for a candidate, or for or against any ballot question, the district
board canvassing the ballots or the county board should consider
whether the mark is made in an area reasonably close to the square that
would ordinarily be marked to indicate the voter’s choice.
The amendments provide that the district board canvassing the
ballots or the county board may count a vote when a voter has written
the name of a candidate reasonably close to the position that an office
occupies on the ballot and made an appropriate mark or written the
word “Yes” next to such candidate’s name.
The amendments also require that the Secretary of State, in
consultation with the county board of elections in each county,
establish uniform guidelines to assist the county board and the district
board canvassing the ballot in assessing the validity of marks made
and votes cast on ballots used in this State.