THOUSANDS OF NEW YORKERS DEMAND STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY MOVE PRIMARY REGISTRATION TO AUGUST 19
Following DNC Reform Commission Report on New York Democratic Party, New Yorkers Demand NY Democratic Party Stop Self-Inflicted Voter Suppression, Change Voting Deadline Rules
April 18, 2018
Mr. Geoff Berman
Executive Director
New York Democratic Party
420 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10170
Executive Director Berman:
It is universally recognized that NY State, previously a leader in political openness and innovation, has the worst voting procedures in the United States. With an overwhelming Democratic majority, NY is one of the bottom five states in voter turnout, one of only 13 states without early voting, and has — by far — the worst party change deadline, at over one year prior to the primary.
The good news is that no new legislation is required to change this embarrassment to our state’s democracy. The New York State Democratic Party has the ability to cure its self-inflicted voter suppression by simplifying and consolidating all party voter registration dates in upcoming elections to August 19th, 2018; 25 days before any election. This simple rule change would allow close to three million disenfranchised NYS residents to become active voters. The bad news is that the Party has refused to make this change.
Since first elected, recognizing NY’s archaic voting rules and laws, Governor Cuomo promised to fund and enact voting reform to give a voice to the disenfranchised he campaigned on behalf of. As voting reform has remained on the Governor’s platform and a focus of his State of the State speeches, he and the “three/four-men-in-a-room” have left the reform out of the budget and no legislation has passed. Each year there are campaign promises, but each year voting reform is sidelined and blamed on the legislative deadlock.
Given that voting is a constitutional right, and that the NY Democratic Party has the power to change these restrictive voting procedures without any new legislation, blaming a state legislature for failure to reform in the Excelsior state is not only an injustice, but an embarrassment to the rest of the country. Thus, it is no wonder that New York recently became the poster child for disenfranchisement, with voter suppression rates exceeding that in Republican ruled states which use voter I.D. laws to marginalize voters of color.
The DNC’s Unity Reform Commission, established at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, was charged with studying and addressing concerns that arose during the presidential nominating process to ensure that it is accessible, transparent, and inclusive.
Following extensive hearings on voting reform, the DNC’s Unity Reform Commission uncovered that it is also the responsibility of the NY Democratic Party to set deadlines which allow for a more inclusive voting process for New Yorkers.
The indisputable facts:
- In 2016, nearly 3 million New Yorkers weren’t able to cast a vote because they did not change their party affiliation in time.
- At over a year in advance, NY has the longest state deadline to change party affiliation (193 days), nearly twice that of the next longest state deadline (Kentucky at 129 days).
- 43% of NYers identify as independent voters, and most young people identify as independent voters. Many of these voters learned too late that they couldn’t change registration to vote in past primaries, well after the primary “season” began.
- 37 States Have Early Voting (New York doesn’t).
- 11 States and DC now have automatic voter registration (New York doesn’t).
- NY is 1 of only 5 states that have different deadlines between these two classes of voters.
- In states that encourage voter participation, voter turnout is over 70%. Cuomo’s New York is languishing at approximately 50%
- New York has the most restrictive and complicated voting deadlines in the country.
According to NYDems.org website, one of the many things that the Committee stands for is to “ensure that everyone has right to vote.” Though blaming the Republicans for the lack of legislation and budget is a fair point, the NYS Democratic Party is providing an epic bait-and-switch. The truth is that legislation is not needed to enact a simplification of registration and party change — IDC or no IDC.
As agreed upon in the DNC’s “Report of the Unity Reform Commission” (adopted Dec. 8 & 9, 2017; pg. 30) “…the Unity Reform Commission shall make recommendations to encourage the involvement in all elections of unaffiliated or new voters who seek to join the Democratic Party including through same-day registration and re-registration.”
We, the undersigned, representing millions of current and potential voters throughout the state of New York, hereby demand that the New York State Democratic Committee stop playing politics with New Yorkers’ right to vote and heed the suggestions of the DNC’s “Report of the Unity Reform Commission.” We strongly urge the New York Democratic Party to follow the recommendations of the DNC’s Unity Reform Commission by consolidating and moving all registration and/or party switching deadlines to August 19th, 2018; 25 days before any election.
It is our Democratic Governor (the de facto leader of the NY Democratic party) and the party leaders who have the power to remedy this appalling situation. We Democrats urge these party leaders take immediate action, or explain to the voters why they failed to do so.
In the era of Trump, the New York Democratic Party can prove how serious it is about taking on injustice by protecting the right to vote by a simple rule change.
As composed by:
Dan Efram, NY Indivisible
Nomiki Konst, DNC Unity Reform Commissioner (NY)Jay Ballanca, NYS Democratic State Party CommitteeGeorge Albro, NYPAN, former DNC Rules Committee Member (2016)
And co-signed by:
Brooklyn Voters Alliance
Action Potluck
The Creative Resistance
Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
Indivisible Brooklyn
Indivisible CD19 NY
Indivisible Cortland County
Indivisible Do Or Die
Indivisible Nation BK
Indivisible New Rochelle
Indivisible Rivertowns
Indivisible The Fight is On
Indivisible Upper East Side
Indivisible Westchester
New York Communities For Change
No IDC NY
NY Indivisible
NY CD16 Indivisible
NYPAN, New York Progressive Action Network
Occupy The Bronx
Our Revolution
Progressive Women of Pelham
Queens Huddle
The Rise and Resist Elections Group
True Blue NY
