2023 New York Laws › ELN - Election › Article 11 - Special Presidential and Special Federal Voters and Special Ballots › Title 3 - Special Ballots › 11-308 - Special Ballots for Emergency Responders.

§  11-308.  Special  ballots for emergency responders. 1. A registered
  voter who serves as an emergency responder in  times  of  emergency,  as
  declared by the governor or a court of competent jurisdiction, may apply
  to  the  board  of  elections by letter or special application via mail,
  facsimile or e-mail, for a special ballot. Such  application  or  letter
  may  be  delivered  to  the  board of elections at any time prior to any
  election, without regard to deadlines for the receipt of early  mail  or
  absentee ballot applications.
2.  Emergency  responders may utilize an early mail or absentee ballot
  application to request a special ballot, or may file a written statement
  that he or she will be unable to appear at the polling place on the  day
  of  an  election  because  his  or  her duties as an emergency responder
  require such voter  to  be  elsewhere.  The  emergency  responder  shall
  designate a preference for the receipt of a special ballot. The board of
  elections  shall  provide  such  voter a special ballot immediately upon
  such request, and shall utilize overnight express delivery for such mail
  ballot delivery. If  the  designated  preference  is  for  facsimile  or
  electronic  transmission,  the  ballot  shall  be  furnished in the same
  manner applicable to military voters who request ballots in such format.
3. Such cast ballots may be delivered to any office of  any  board  of
  elections  in  the  state,  or  to any open poll site not later than the
  close of the polls on election day.
4. Emergency responders shall receive assistance  from  any  board  of
  elections  in  the state in relation to applying for, casting and return
  delivery  of  a  special  ballot,  including  facsimile  and  electronic
  transmission  services,  ballot envelope templates if necessary, and any
  other component of the special ballot election process  that  will  help
  ensure the enfranchisement of such emergency responder.
5. Emergency responder special ballots received by boards of elections
  from  voters  under the jurisdiction of another board of elections shall
  be date and time-stamped and immediately forwarded to the voter's  board
  of  elections.  Such  ballots  shall  be timely if the time stamp of the
  first receiving board of elections is timely. Such ballots shall be cast
  and canvassed pursuant to  the  provisions  of  section  9-209  of  this
  chapter  and  where  an emergency responder's ballot and envelope is not
  standard in appearance, it shall be cast and canvassed  consistent  with
  the provisions of section 10-125 of this chapter.
6.  For purposes of this section, "emergency responders" shall include
  all persons called upon to provide emergency support,  relief  or  other
  services,  in  the  response  to natural disasters, acts of terrorism or
  sabotage, fire, power failure, and such other circumstances which prompt
  the governor or a  court  of  competent  jurisdiction  to  declare  such
  emergency. Emergency responders include, but are not limited to, medical
  personnel,  military  personnel,  utility  company  or  similar contract
  employees, fire department personnel, police department personnel, local
  and state emergency management personnel,  and  other  state  and  local
  government employees providing emergency response services.
7. The state board of elections shall develop and distribute to boards
  of elections, sample forms and procedures to ensure the participation of
  emergency responders in any election conducted by a board of elections.