BOE Convenes to Determine Redistricting Amendment Ballot Language

NEW YORK, NY (08/01/2014)(readMedia)-- Today the Board of Elections will convene to determine ballot language for the redistricting amendment which New Yorkers will vote on this November. Earlier this week a coalition of good government advocates, civil rights groups, and environmentalists sent a letter to the Office of the Attorney General and the Board of Elections urging them to keep the language neutral. The group suggested the following text:

"The proposed amendment to Article 3 of the Constitution would allow New York State's legislative leaders to appoint a bipartisan commission to establish new state legislative and congressional district lines every ten years pursuant to stated criteria with final approval by the Legislature. Shall the amendment be approved?"

Common Cause/NY Executive Director, Susan Lerner, will be at today's meeting.

Background

In the past, the Board of Elections has adopted ballot descriptions which were considered to describe the referendum on the ballot in a way that was not purely factual, but included arguments in favor of passage. Last year, the state Board of Elections was widely criticized for the language which appeared on the ballot describing the proposed gambling amendment, which was placed before the voters last November.