2023 New York Laws › ELN - Election › Article 3 - Election Officials › Title 1 - Statewide Provisions › 3-107 - Powers and Duties of the State Board of Elections Respecting Elections and Crimes Against the Elective Franchise.

§  3-107. Powers and duties of the state board of elections respecting
  elections and crimes against the elective franchise. Authority is hereby
  conferred upon the  state  board  of  elections  to  appoint  a  special
  investigator  to take charge of the investigation of cases arising under
  the election law, and to appoint such additional  special  investigators
  and  employees  as  it  may  deem necessary, and fix their compensation,
  within the limits of appropriation available therefor, and  assign  them
  to  any  election district or districts for the purpose of enforcing the
  provisions of the election law. Moneys appropriated for carrying out the
  provisions of this section shall be paid out of the  state  treasury  on
  the  audit  and  warrant  of the comptroller upon the certificate of the
  state board.
Such special investigators shall, when directed by the state board  of
  elections, investigate qualifications of persons to register or vote and
  violations of the election law. Any such special investigator may:
1. Visit and inspect any house, dwelling, building, inn, lodginghouse,
  boarding-house, rooming-house, or hotel and interrogate any incarcerated
  individual,  house-dweller,  keeper,  caretaker,  owner,  proprietor  or
  landlord thereof or therein, as to any person  or  persons  residing  or
  claiming to reside therein or thereat.
2.  Inspect  and copy any books, records, papers or documents relating
  to or affecting the election or the registration of voters,  or  require
  the  board  or  officer  in charge thereof to furnish a copy of any such
  record, paper or document without charge.
3. Require any lodging-house, boarding-house or rooming-house  keeper,
  landlord or proprietor to exhibit his register of the lodgers therein at
  any time to such special investigator.
4.  Procure  warrants of arrest and cause to be taken into custody the
  person or persons named in such process.
5. Go within the guard-rail at any polling place at any election.
Any such special investigator also shall have all of the powers  of  a
  peace  officer  as  set  forth in section 2.20 of the criminal procedure
  law, for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish any information required
  by the election law or authorized herein, or to exhibit records,  papers
  or  documents herein authorized to be inspected or which are required to
  be exhibited, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
The state board or any of its special investigators shall  have  power
  to  issue  subpoenas  or  subpoenas  duces  tecum,  administer oaths and
  examine witnesses under oath,  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  any
  matter  within  the  jurisdiction  herein  prescribed for the purpose of
  aiding the state board in enforcing the provisions of the election  law.
  Such  subpoenas  shall  be  issued  in  the  name  of the state board of
  elections. Such subpoenas may be served by any special  investigator  or
  by  any  police  officer  or peace officer who is acting pursuant to his
  special duties.
Any person who shall omit,  neglect  or  refuse  to  obey  a  subpoena
  attested in the name of the state board of elections or who shall refuse
  to  testify  under  or  in  pursuance  thereof  shall  be  guilty  of  a
  misdemeanor.
Any such special investigator may call upon any member of the  police,
  sheriff,  deputy  sheriff,  constable  or  other  public officer, or any
  person, to assist him in carrying out the provisions  of  this  section.
  Any  such  officer  or person who shall fail to render the assistance so
  demanded or who shall wilfully hinder or delay such special investigator
  in the exercise of any power or the performance of  any  duty  shall  be
  guilty of a misdemeanor.