NY Elec L § 5-212 (2021)
2021 New York Laws ELN - Election Article 5 - Registration and Enrollment of Voters Title 2 - Registration and Enrollment 5-212 - Motor Vehicle Registration.

§  5-212.  Motor  vehicle  registration.  1.  In addition to any other method of voter registration provided for in this article, any qualified person may apply for registration and  enrollment  by  application  made simultaneously  and  integrated  with an application for a motor vehicle driver's license, a driver's license renewal or an  identification  card if  such  a  card  is  issued by the department of motor vehicles in its normal course of business.   2. The department of motor vehicles, with the approval  of  the  state board  of  elections,  shall  design  a  form  or  forms which shall, in addition to eliciting  such  information  as  may  be  required  by  the department  of motor vehicles for a driver's license, a driver's license renewal, a change of address notification  or  an  identification  card, serve   as   an  application  for  registration  and  enrollment,  or  a registration necessitated by a change of residence.  The  cost  of  such forms shall be borne by the department of motor vehicles.   3. The voter registration portion of such forms:  (a)  shall not require any information that duplicates the information required on the application for the driver  license  portion  and  shall require  only  such  additional  information,  including the applicant's signature, as will enable election officials to assess  the  applicant's eligibility  to  register to vote, prevent duplicate registration and to administer voter registration and other parts of the election process.  (b) shall include a statement  of  the  eligibility  requirements  for voter  registration  and  shall  require  the applicant to attest by his signature that he meets those requirements under penalty of perjury.  (c) shall inform the applicant, in print identical to that used in the attestation section of the following:  (i) voter eligibility requirements;  (ii) penalties for submission of false registration application;  (iii)  that  the  office  where  applicant  registers   shall   remain confidential  and  the  information  be used only for voter registration purposes;  (iv) if the applicant declines  to  register,  his  declination  shall remain confidential and be used only for voter registration purposes;   4. Included on the form or on a separate form shall be:  (a)  the  question,  "If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like to apply to register here today?"  (b) boxes for the applicant to check to indicate whether the applicant would like to register or decline to register to vote.  (c) the statement in prominent type, "IF YOU DO NOT CHECK EITHER  BOX, YOU  WILL  BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO REGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS TIME."  (d) the statement, "If you would like help in filling  out  the  voter registration application form, we will help you. The decision whether to seek  or accept help is yours.  You may fill out the application form in private."  (e) the statement, "If you believe that someone  has  interfered  with your  right  to  register  or decline to register to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or in applying  to  register  to vote,  or  your  right  to  choose  your  own  political  party or other political preference, you may file a complaint with the state  board  of elections (address and toll free telephone number)."  (f)  a  toll  free  number at the state board of elections that can be called for answers to registration questions.   5. The form containing the declination to register to  vote  shall  be retained by the department of motor vehicles for the same period of time as  such department retains the accompanying application for services or  for such shorter period of time as may be approved by the state board of elections.   6. The department of motor vehicles shall transmit that portion of the form  which  constitutes  the  completed application for registration or change of address form to the appropriate board of elections  not  later than  ten days after receipt except that all such completed applications and  forms  received  by  the  department  between  the  thirtieth   and twenty-fifth  day before an election shall be transmitted in such manner and at such time as to assure their receipt by such board  of  elections not later than the twentieth day before such election.  All transmittals shall include original signatures.   7.  Completed  application  forms  received by the department of motor vehicles not later than the twenty-fifth day  before  the  next  ensuing primary,  general or special election and transmitted by such department to the appropriate board of elections so  that  they  are  received  not later  than  the  twentieth  day  before such election shall entitle the applicant to vote in such election provided the  board  determines  that the applicant is otherwise qualified.   8.   Disclosure   of   voter  registration  information,  including  a declination to register, by the department of motor vehicles, its agents or employees, for other  than  voter  registration  purposes,  shall  be deemed  an  unwarranted  invasion  of  personal  privacy pursuant to the provisions of subdivision two  of  section  eighty-nine  of  the  public officers law and shall constitute a violation of this chapter.   9.  Application  forms shall be processed by the board of elections in the manner prescribed  by  section  5-210  of  this  title  or,  if  the applicant  is  already  registered  to vote from another address in such county or city, in the manner prescribed by section 5-208 of this title. The board shall send the appropriate notice of approval or rejection  as required by either subdivision nine of such section 5-210 or subdivision five of such section 5-208.   10.  Strict  neutrality  with  respect  to a person's party enrollment shall be maintained and all persons seeking voter registration forms and information  shall  be  advised  that  government   services   are   not conditioned on being registered to vote.   11.  No statement shall be made nor any action taken to discourage the applicant from registering to vote.   12. The department of motor vehicles shall provide to each person  who chooses  to  register  to  vote the same level of assistance provided to persons in connection with the completion of  the  agency's  own  forms, unless such person refuses such assistance.   13.  The  state board shall adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the requirements of this section. The board shall also adopt such rules and regulations as may  be  necessary  to  require county  boards and the department of motor vehicles to provide the state board with such information and data as the  board  deems  necessary  to assess  compliance  with  this section and to compile such statistics as may be required by the federal elections commission.   14. The state board shall develop and  distribute  public  information and promotional materials relating to the purposes and implementation of this program.   15.  The state board shall prepare and distribute to the department of motor vehicles written instructions as  to  the  implementation  of  the program  and shall be responsible for establishing training programs for employees of the department of motor vehicles involved in such program.   16. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall take  all  actions  which are  necessary  and  proper  for the implementation of this section. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall designate  one  person  within  the  agency  as the agency voter registration coordinator who will, under the direction of the state board of elections, be responsible for the  voter registration program in such agency.