ALBANY – New York State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris on August 20 announced his legislation (S. 8799-a) has been signed into law by the Governor. Senator Gianaris’ bill allows absentee ballots missing postmarks to be counted if received by the Board of Elections up to the day after Election Day. Previously, absentee ballots would be rejected if received after Election Day. Many votes were invalidated for this reason during the recent primary election.

Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris said, "It's critical we learn the lessons of the primary election and ensure every valid vote counts in November. The bill being signed today will help insulate voters from problems caused by difficulties with the US Postal Service. I'm grateful the Governor is enacting it."

Senator Gianaris’ legislation is part of a host of measures passed by the Senate Democratic Majority to make voting easier and safer during the COVID-19 pandemic, including allowing all New Yorkers to vote by mail using an absentee ballot. Senator Gianaris, who has led the way on efforts to enact voting reforms including Automatic Voter Registration, also participated in the Senate’s oversight hearings on the Board of Elections’ handling of the June primary.