Lawmakers in New York have approved major election reforms, including early voting and Election Day registration, in a bid to simplify the voting process and increase voter turnout in the next elections.
The State Assembly and Senate, with the backing of Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, passed a total of seven bills to bolster New York’s electoral system.
Prior to the passage of the bill, the Houses were controlled by the Republicans. However, with the Democratic Party now holding majority of the seats this year, the bills passed with relative ease, despite minor opposition from some GOP senators.
A major part of the legislation, which was approved on Monday, includes providing more time for citizens to vote during the elections, with counties under New York mandated to permit in-person voting up to 10 days before the main election date. Joining 37 other states in America that allow early voting, this change will take place in time for November’s polls.
The densely populated state was plagued with voting machine failures and long queues during last elections and this resulted in frustration amongst voters. Officials believe that these factors contribute to rankings placing the state among the 10 worst states in the USA on voter turnout in both the 2016 elections and recent 2018 midterm elections.
To accommodate this, the state of New York will grant county election boards the flexibility to determine the number of polling centres to be opened ahead of the elections.
Previous legislation aimed at early voting had previously been blocked by Republicans at the state senate who raised points on the added cost of manning polls for 10 days before the main elections, as well as the added opportunity for election fraud including ‘double voting.’
The State Association of Counties also complained about the lack of funds available for Local Governments to cover the costs associated with in-person early voting, asking lawmakers and Governor Cuomo, to consider the inclusion of these funds in the next state budget.
Another major feat achieved on Monday was the move to consolidate state and non-presidential federal primaries to the fourth Tuesday of June, a move that could save the state about $25 million spent on carrying out separate state and federal elections and reduce voter confusion, according to the New York Times.
To improve accessibility for registration, the reform package will allow for the pre-registration of young voters between the ages of 16 and 17. Already being practiced in 13 states, this will involve the Department of Motor Vehicles and will see these young voters entered into the electoral system at the point of receiving a driver’s license, pending when they turn 18 and can finally vote.
Also approved, but not effective until 2022 due to constitutional amendments, was Election Day registration and voting by mail, two major changes showing the advancement of the electoral process by way of improved technology.
Other changes will see the monitoring of election funding by closing the “LLC Loophole” which allows for unlimited campaign funding by corporations, with plans to pass identical bills from both Houses, capping LLC contribution at just $5,000. Also set in place, is the elimination of requiring voters who move within the state to register to vote in their new counties of residence.
Governor Cuomo, who is set to attend to these new legislations soon, has also pushed for further reforms including, making Election Day a state mandated holiday and also a total ban on corporate campaign contributions.
