We Passed Early Voting!
My take on Early Voting, the six other election reforms we passed, and why they matter
This week, my colleagues and I in the New York Senate passed an amendment to election law which allows early voting, one of seven bills passed to reform and expand voting rights in New York. In this article, I’ll explain why we did this now, what the laws mean, and where we’ll go from here.
Why now?
Some have asked why, with all of the problems facing this state, we began our session with voting rights. The answer is simple: voting is the right that protects all other rights. My colleagues and I were sent to Albany to express the will of the voters. If that will is impeded, whether implicitly or explicitly, nothing that we do matters.
Yet despite New York’s progressive reputation, we have some of the most regressive and anti-democratic voting laws in the country. We are consistently ranked among the worst in the country in voter turnout, and we are one of a very small number of states who lack common-sense voting policies that would make it easier for New Yorkers to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
Early voting, the bill I introduced, is particularly important. Too many New Yorkers struggle to get to the ballot box because of family and work responsibilities or other barriers. We need to give people the opportunity to vote when they have the most time.
Details on the bill
The early voting period would end on the second day prior to any election (i.e., on Sunday). Counties (and New York City) are required to establish one early voting location per 50,000 registered voters, up to seven locations, and are permitted to exceed seven polling locations.
A county with fewer than 50,000 registered voters County Boards of Elections must have at least one early voting polling location. County Boards of Elections could reduce the number of polling locations for primary or special elections if a determination is made that there would be sufficient access to early voting. For more details, you can read the full bill here.
We also passed six more essential voting reform bills
Early voting is only one of many improvements that our state desperately needs to protect and expand our democracy. On the same day we passed early voting, I was proud to co-sponsor the following six bills:
- Federal and state primaries on the same day. New York is the only state in the union that has separate federal and state primaries. S.1103, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, will save tax payer dollars and make state primary elections the same day as federal primary elections. It also makes sure that New York State’s election law complies with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act.
- Closing the LLC Loophole: S.1101, introduced by Senator Brian Kavanagh, will amend Election Law to hold LLC’s to the same aggregate contribution limit of $5,000 that applies to corporations. This is a critical step toward protecting the integrity of our democracy.
- Voter Registration Transfers: This bill, S.1099, introduced by Senator David Carlucci, will require the Board of Elections to transfer the registration and enrollment of a voter to wherever they move in New York State.
- Voter Pre-Registration: This bill, S.1100, introduced by Senator David Carlucci, will allow16- and 17-year olds to pre-register to vote and requires local boards of education to adopt policies to promote student voter registration and pre-registration.
Two of the bills we passed require passage of another legislative session and approval by a statewide referendum. Those are:
- Same-Day Voter Registration: S.1048, introduced by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, amends the constitution to remove the ten-day advance voter registration requirement.
- No-Excuse Absentee Voting: This bill, S.1049 introduced by Senator Leroy Comrie, will amend the state Constitution to allow for any voter to request to vote by mail without declaring reason.
This is only the beginning
Make no mistake: this is far from the end to our efforts. Our state needs a whole host of reforms to repair and expand New Yorkers’ right to vote, and our voters gave us a mandate to take action now. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that all eligible New Yorkers can make their voices heard at the ballot box. Stay tuned for more!
