N.Y. Election Law § 8-304: Voters; signature identification

§ 8-304. Voters; signature identification. 1. A person before being

allowed to vote shall be required, except as provided in this chapter,

to sign his or her name on the back of his or her registration poll

record on the first line reserved for his or her signature at the time

of election which is not filled with a previous signature, or in the

space provided in the computer generated registration list reserved for

the voter's signature. The two inspectors in charge shall satisfy

themselves by a comparison of this signature with the voter's

registration signature and by comparison of the voter's appearance with

the descriptive material on the face of the registration poll record

that the voter is the person registered. If they are so satisfied they

shall enter the other information required for the election on the same

line with the voter's latest signature, shall sign their names or

initials in the spaces provided therefor, and shall permit the applicant

to vote. Any inspector or inspectors not satisfied shall challenge the

applicant forthwith.

2. If a person who alleges an inability to sign his or her name

presents himself or herself to vote, the board of inspectors shall

permit such person to vote, unless challenged on other grounds, provided

the voter had been permitted to register without signing the voter's

name. The board shall enter the words "Unable to Sign" in the space on

the voter's registration poll record reserved for the voter's signature

or on the line or space the computer generated registration list

reserved for the voter's signature at such election. If the voter's

signature appears upon the voter's registration record or in the

computer generated registration list the board shall challenge the voter

forthwith, except that if such a person claims that he or she is unable

to sign his or her name by reason of a physical disability incurred

since the voter's registration, the board, if convinced of the existence

of such disability, shall permit him or her to vote, shall enter the

words "Unable to Sign" and a brief description of such disability in the

space reserved for the voter's signature at such election. At each

subsequent election, if such disability still exists, the voter shall be

entitled to vote without signing their name and the board of inspectors,

without further notation, shall enter the words "Unable to Sign" in the

space reserved for the voter's signature at such election.

3. The voter's facsimile signature shall be effectively concealed from

the voter by a blotter or other means until after the voter shall have

completed the signature.

4. In any case where a person who has heretofore voted has placed his

voting signature on the back of his registration poll record on the

first or any succeeding line or lines at the time or times of an

election, instead of on the last line of the space thereon required to

be reserved for such voting signatures and on any lines next running

upward therefrom, the inspectors of election shall obliterate such

misplaced signature or signatures, initial the obliteration and require

such voter to sign his name again in the correct place on such

registration poll record.

5. Any person who has heretofore registered and who at such time

placed his or her registration signature on the back of the registration

poll record otherwise than in the space required to be provided therefor

at the bottom of such poll record, shall, before being permitted to vote

at any election thereafter, subscribe a new registration signature for

himself on the last line at the bottom of such poll record, and, at the

same time, if the inspectors of election are satisfied that the

signatures were made by the same person, obliterate his original

registration signature placed elsewhere than on the bottom of such

record. Such obliterations may be made by crossing out the signature so

as to completely efface the same or by affixing thereover a piece of

gummed tape of a size sufficient only to cover such signature and of a

type adequate to fully conceal the same.