N.Y. Election Law § 5-608: Replacement of registration and enrollment records; damaged, unusable or lost

§ 5-608. Replacement of registration and enrollment records; damaged,

unusable or lost. 1. If the registration or enrollment records of any

voter shall be lost, mutilated, defaced or destroyed, the board of

elections shall, except as provided in subdivision two hereof, require

him to reregister or reenroll. Such reregistration or reenrollment

shall be deemed to have taken effect as of the date of the original

registration or enrollment.

2. If one or both of the registration records of the voter are still

in the possession of the board of elections and it is possible therefrom

to duplicate the lost or damaged record, the board of elections shall

prepare a new record containing all the information required, using the

original serial number, and shall paste photostatic copies of the

voter's signature in each space on the new record where his signature

was placed on the original record.

3. When the spaces for signature or for other entries, on a

registration poll record are filled so as to render a record no longer

usable, the board of elections shall prepare a second poll record. All

pertinent information shall be copied from the original poll record on

to the second poll record. The registration signature on the original

poll record shall be photostated and pasted on the back in the space for

the registration signature on the second poll record. Within the space

reserved for remarks shall be imprinted "Record Continued--2nd Poll

Record", or "3rd Poll Record", as appropriate.

4. The active but unusable poll record shall be kept in a special file

for active continued registrations until such time as the next poll

record may be cancelled, at which time the poll records are stamped

"cancelled" and fastened together when placed in the cancellation file.

5. All mutilated or defaced registration records which are replaced by

new records under the provisions of this section shall be stamped across

the face with the words "Record Replaced", without obliterating any of

the entries thereon and shall be kept on file by the board of elections.

6. If the records of an entire election district or a large segment

thereof are lost, mutilated, defaced or destroyed, or are determined by

the board of elections to be so inaccurate or incomplete as to be

unusable, such board may, upon due notice, require re-registration of

all qualified voters resident within such district. In such event, the

board shall fix and determine additional days of local registration for

such re-registration.