Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

N.Y. ELN Law § 5-218

This is the official text of N.Y. ELN Law § 5-218, part of New York’s ELN Law — part of the compiled statutory law of New York, published by the state as "ELN Law." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Registration; challenges

Official statutory text

§ 5-218. Registration; challenges. 1. Any person who applies for\nregistration may be challenged by any qualified voter, watcher, or\ninspector of election if such person has reason to suspect that the\napplicant is not qualified to be registered to vote.\n 2. When an applicant is challenged the person making the challenge\nmust first state the reason for the challenge and complete the\nchallenger's part of the challenge form. The board shall then administer\nto such applicant the following oath: "You do solemnly swear (or affirm)\nthat you will give true answers to the questions which may be put to you\nto establish your qualifications to register and vote". A member of such\nboard shall then read to the challenged person the questions printed\nupon the form of the challenge affidavit which relate to the reason\ngiven for the challenge, and such other questions on the form as in its\ndiscretion it may deem appropriate, and shall enter in ink, opposite\neach question, the answer thereto given by such applicant. After\nanswering, the applicant shall sign his name to such challenge\naffidavit. The inspector or member of such board who writes the answers\nshall enter in the place provided on the challenge affidavit,\ninformation identifying the person challenged and the name and address\nof the person challenging, and shall sign the certificate at the end\nthereof. The other inspectors present shall also sign such certificate\nat the end thereof.\n 3. The applicant shall be registered by the board if a majority of\nsuch board shall be satisfied with the answers of the registrant. If not\nsatisfied, they shall notify him of the qualifications which they\nbelieve he lacks as a voter, and shall furnish him a duplicate of the\nchallenge affidavit as completed. They shall also advise him of his\nright to apply to the board of elections for registration.\n 4. When a person who has been challenged is registered, the board\nshall enter in the remarks column the word "Challenged".\n 5. The state board of elections shall prescribe forms for challenge\naffidavits for use pursuant hereto, which forms shall elicit such\ninformation from the applicant as it deems appropriate.\n

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in New York?

Find a New York lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.