Don't Ghost Democracy! Sen. Schumer, Rep. Jerry Nadler + Democracy Advocates Rally for YES on 1, 3, 4!

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NEW YORK, NY (10/31/2021) (readMedia)-- On Halloween, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Jerry Nadler, Senator Brad Hoylman, and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal gathered with Common Cause/NY, Make the Road NY, NY Civic Engagement Table, AALDEF, APA Voice, major labor unions, and dozens of democracy advocates rallied to get out the vote for Yes on 1, 3, 4.

The ballot proposals, which appear on the back of New Yorkers' ballot this November 2nd, will give New York a better and more fair redistricting process, strengthen democracy, and make voting more accessible in New York.

Watch the rally here.

Watch Sen. Schumer's speech here.

Check out the Yes on 1, 3, 4 campaign website here.

Ballot proposals 1, 3, and 4 have been endorsed by 9 members of congress including Sen. Schumer and Reps Nadler, Velázquez, Maloney, Bowman, Meng, Jones, Jeffries, and Rice; 6 key labor unions including 1199 SEIU, 32BJ, CWA District 1, NYSNA, CIR SEIU, and DC37; state legislators including Senators Brisport, Kaplan, Myrie, Salazar, Ramos, Assemblymembers González-Rojas, Darling, Lavine, Ramos, Solages, and 50+ civic engagement groups.

"While rightwing lawmakers across the country are spreading twisted lies in order to pass anti-voter laws and push people of color and immigrants out of democracy, New Yorkers have the chance to show the rest of the country that we stand for a democracy where nobody is shut out. I urge everyone to vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4 to give New Yorkers the strong democracy that every American deserves," said Rep. Jerry Nadler.

"Proposals 1, 3, and 4 are vital measures to enshrine expanded voting rights and a better redistricting process into our state constitution. 20 states have same-day voter registration, and 34 states have no-excuse absentee voting, why should voters in Buffalo or Brooklyn miss out on the same opportunities as Americans in two-thirds of the nation? Vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4 this Election Day, November 2nd!" said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY.

Theo Oshiro, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York, said

"With only two days left until Election Day, our community is fired up to strengthen democracy by voting yes on ballot proposals 1, 3, and 4. Our coalition has made hundreds of thousands of contacts to voters across New York to urge them to support common-sense reforms to fix the redistricting process and make it easier for New Yorkers to register and vote. Stand up to make sure our communities' voices are heard by voting yes!"

"New Yorkers have an incredible opportunity to improve our democracy and expand our freedom to vote! By voting YES on key ballot proposals 1, 3, and 4, we can ensure a fairer redistricting process for our communities, eliminate the voter registration deadline, and vote absentee without any excuse. It's time for our voices to be heard," said Melody Lopez, Executive Director of the New York Civic Engagement Table.

Proposal 1 will reform the redistricting process to create districts that put New Yorkers before politicians. It will:

• Guarantee that political districts include all residents regardless of citizenship status - as originally intended in the U.S. Constitution - for the purposes of redistricting. While this is current practice, enshrining this into the state constitution will ensure that New Yorkers are protected if federal law excludes noncitizens from the Census.
• Enshrine a ban on prison-based gerrymandering in the state constitution, thus ensuring that incarcerated people are not used as political pawns.
• Adjust the redistricting timeline so that final maps will be finished in time for 2022 candidates to make a decision and begin circulating nominating petitions in the actual districts they will run in. Because New York's primaries were moved in 2019 from September to June, if Proposal 1 does not pass, the timeline for finalizing maps will be out of sync with the election cycle.
• Reduce the ability of political parties to manipulate the mapmaking process by freezing the number of State Senators at 63. The State Legislature has decided in the last 3 redistricting cycles to change the number of senators for partisan advantage.
• Get rid of the need for the Independent Redistricting Commission's co-executive directors to represent each party, in favor of co-executive directors elected by a majority vote of the bipartisan commission. This will not only simplify the commission's process, but reduce the State Legislature's control over the mapmaking process and minimize partisan bias.
• Require a uniform vote to approve maps, regardless of which parties are in control of the State Legislature. Currently, a two-thirds vote is required to approve maps if one party controls the legislature, and a simple majority is required if there is bipartisan control. This complicates the map approval process, acting as a pseudo-filibuster when a two-thirds vote is required. Proposal 1 will eliminate the shifting standards for map approval based solely on election outcomes and replace them with one clear, unchanging standard.

Proposal 3 means no more voter registration deadlines. The most reliable way to increase voter turnout is with a combination of early voting (which New York already has) and eliminating the unfair and unnecessary disenfranchisement that is caused by arbitrary voter registration deadlines. New York has two different voter registration deadlines: one is the 10 day cutoff in the state constitution that Proposal 3 would eliminate, and the other is the 25 day cutoff that is part of state law. The first step to doing away with voter registration deadlines and ultimately paving the way for implementing same-day voter registration in New York is passing Proposal 3, which will eliminate the 10 day cutoff for voter registration in the state constitution.

Proposal 4 would make voting more accessible for all New Yorkers by allowing voters to request an absentee ballot, no excuse needed. The pandemic led to expanded absentee voting, allowing over 1.5 million people in 2020 to vote by citing "temporary illness" as their excuse to request an absentee ballot. However, that will end this year, and New York's more restrictive absentee voting laws, which require voters to prove they will either be out of town or otherwise incapacitated to vote in person, will be back in force. Typically, only 3-5% of voters met these eligibility requirements. Proposal 4 would delete these narrow requirements from the constitution and have New York join the 34 states and Washington, D.C. that allow no-excuse absentee voting.

"The GOP's lies have led to extreme partisan gerrymandering and voter suppression, silencing the voices of communities who need to be heard. Proposals 1, 3, and 4 will do the opposite. They will reduce political parties' ability to manipulate the redistricting process and make voting more accessible, strengthening democracy overall in New York. Vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4!" said Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

"We can't waste this opportunity to expand voting rights and give New York a better redistricting process - especially while there is an anti-democracy wave moving across the country. Proposals 1, 3, and 4 will protect the political power of New York immigrant communities and communities of color, and expand voting rights so that more of us are able to make our voices heard. I hope all New Yorkers will see these rightwing scare tactics for the lies they are, and vote yes on these crucial pro-democracy measures," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

"GOP lies are putting our democracy at stake, directly leading to vote suppression and the diluted political power of immigrants and communities of color across the country. But we can send a message that New Yorkers believe in democracy by voting yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4. We can ensure that noncitizens are always counted during redistricting, permanently ban prison-based gerrymandering, and expand voting rights to strengthen democracy in New York," said Rep. Grace Meng.

"Rightwing lies and scare tactics are threatening the political power of people of color and immigrants across the country. But we won't be intimidated in New York. We can make sure that prison-based gerrymandering is never used to dilute our power, that noncitizens are always counted in the census, and that New Yorkers have the same expanded access to voting that more than half the country already enjoys. Vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4," said Rep. Jamaal Bowman.

"At a time when right-wing voter suppression tactics are being deployed across the country, we must take action to ensure New Yorkers have fair representation and equal access to the ballot box. By approving Proposals 1, 3, and 4, we will protect voting rights in our state and send a strong message that New Yorkers will always fight to defend democracy," said Rep. Kathleen Rice.

"??Democracy is on the ballot in New York. And at a time when voting rights are under attack across the country, it's more important than ever for us to set the standard of what a strong democracy should look like. I will be voting YES on proposals 1, 3, and 4, and I encourage my fellow New Yorkers to do the same," said Rep. Mondaire Jones.

"As other states across the US are rushing to enact harsh voter suppression laws, New Yorkers have an opportunity to make voting easier for all of us. Voting is the right that protects all our other rights, and I'm proud to ask New Yorkers to vote "YES" on these proposals that would enable same-day registration, no-excuse absentee voting and more," said State Senator Zellnor Myrie.

"As red states veer sharply in the wrong direction, towards voter suppression, New York is taking the opposite approach. I'm thrilled that New Yorkers get to vote on November 2nd to safeguard people's right to vote and ensure a fairer redistricting process. I urge my fellow New Yorkers to vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4," said Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou.

"At a time when our democracy and our sacred right to vote is under attack around the country, New York is on the verge of taking a big step forward to protect our rights and ensure that we can all have our voices heard at the ballot box. I urge every New Yorker to join me in flipping their ballots this year and voting YES on Proposals 1, 3, and 4, sending a message that we still believe in American Democracy, and we believe in giving everyone a voice in their government, said Senator Anna M. Kaplan.

"Our democracy is stronger when everyone's voice is heard. Long Island communities deserve a fairer redistricting process that puts people first, and we deserve a system where it's easy to register to vote and cast your ballot. That's why I urge voters who want to strengthen our state's democracy to vote yes on ballot proposals 1, 3, and 4," said Assembly Member Michaelle Solages.

"Proposals 1, 3, and 4 are common-sense measures that will make New York's redistricting process better and more fair, and make it easier for New Yorkers to vote. The Legislature passed these reforms in order to strengthen democracy in New York, and I hope all New Yorkers join me in voting yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4," said Assembly Member Charles Lavine.

"As red states attack voting rights, New York is-and must continue to-move in the opposite direction. We need to make it easier for people to register to vote and cast their ballots, and we need to make the redistricting process fairer for communities. I'm proud to join Long Island community organizations and elected officials to say: vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4," said Assemblymember Phil Ramos.

"I am in full support of proposals 1, 3 and 4. These proposals are critical in showing the true numbers in our district so we can be at the table to bring better resources to our community. We need to make the voting process as streamlined, simple, convenient and engaging as possible. The closer we get to that type of voting environment the stronger our democracy will be," said Assemblymember Taylor Darling.

"Anti-democracy forces across the country are attempting to dilute the political power of working people and silence our voices, but in New York we have an opportunity to ensure our voices are always represented and heard by voting yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4. We are dedicated to fighting for a better future for our members and for our children, and proposals 1, 3, and 4 will help secure that better future. I urge everyone to vote yes to strengthen democracy in New York and protect the voices of immigrant communities and communities of color," said Henry Garrido, executive director of District Council 37.

"1199ers come from all walks of life, and many of our members are immigrants and people of color, who have long been the targets of right wing attacks and bad-faith attempts at diluting our power. But we know that the contributions of working people are what makes American democracy strong. Proposals 1, 3, and 4 will keep power with the people, and crucially ensure that noncitizens aren't excluded from the redistricting process. We're urging our members and all New Yorkers to vote yes on 1, 3, and 4," said Gabby Seay, Political Director of 1199SEIU.

"Proposals 1, 3, and 4 are crucial measures that will help immigrant communities and people of color continue to build our power. We've got to make sure politicians can't ever again use prison based gerrymandering to dilute our voices, or attempt to exclude noncitizens in the census for the purpose of redistricting. I urge all New Yorkers to vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4 - to protect the political voice of working people." said Kyle Bragg, president of 32BJ SEIU.

"Through the pandemic, our nurses have risked their lives to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers. Now, New Yorkers have a chance to vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4 to ensure that the voices of our members - many of whom are immigrants and people of color - are protected in the state constitution from bad actors seeking to shut us out of democracy. Vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4!" said NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN.

"Across the country, legislators are aggressively gerrymandering districts and enacting voter suppression, silencing the voices of working people and people of color. But with proposals 1, 3, and 4, we have the chance to make sure our voices are represented. We can reduce the partisan stranglehold over our redistricting process; keep immigrants, noncitizens, and people of color from being used as political pawns; and make it easier for all of us to make our voices heard. That's why all New Yorkers should vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4," said Dennis Trainor, Vice President of CWA District 1.

??"Empire State Indivisible supports ballot proposals one, three, and four because these proposals will help improve and bring fairness to the redistricting process, work to further expand and safeguard voting access, and help increase civic engagement," said Danielle Brecker, co-lead organizer at Empire State Indivisible.

"From ensuring every person is counted in their community, for accurate representation and resources, to reducing barriers for our people to have their voices heard at the voting booth- This year we have the opportunity to vote for an improved democracy. In a time where voting rights are under attack and communities for color continue to be under resourced- A Yes vote on Props 1,2&3, is one way New Yorkers can show the rest of the United States what creating a more equitable democracy looks like," said Cynthia Travieso, political director of Community Voices Heard Power.

"APA VOICE, a coalition of New York's leading Asian-American community organizations that organizes together on civic outreach, urges our members to vote yes to Questions 1, 2, 3, 4 in the upcoming general election. We support the passage of good government, environmental justice and voting reforms in order for the communities that we serve, represented mostly by working class immigrants with limited English proficiency, have a greater voice and role in shaping the civic process. Please vote YES on Questions 1, 2, 3, 4! "

"One of the things that redistricting does to a diverse and vibrant community like ours prevents us from communicating with our elected officials together on one issue. We stand united in making sure our communities are drawn to reflect our issues and policies that help our communities to continue to thrive as one," said Mimi Pierre Johnson, president of the Elmont Cultural Center.

"At a time when other states are imposing Jim Crow-era restrictions on voting, New York has an opportunity to become a national leader on voting rights and redistricting by voting yes on 1, 3, and 4. We encourage New Yorkers to support these key ballot measures in order to ensure that each of us has fair representation and a vital voice in our democracy," said New York Working Families Party State Director Sochie Nnaemeka.

"As Co-Chairs of the Forest Hills Green Team, we support Proposals #1,3 and 4, which will go a long way to help us elect legislators who will support addressing common sense approaches to deal with climate change, but we also encourage people to support Proposal # 2, which will immediately impact our environment," state Mark Laster and Dan Miner.

"While states across the country are trying to make it harder for Americans to vote, on November 2nd everyday New Yorkers will actually have an opportunity to expand our freedom to vote and strengthen our democracy," said Christina Harvey, Executive Director of Stand Up America. "This election season, voters should flip their ballots and vote 'YES' on ballot proposals 1, 3 and 4 to ensure fairer redistricting, easier voter registration, and access to no excuse absentee voting for everyone."

"The Asian American Federation is proud to endorse the "Yes on 1, 3 & 4" campaign to support fair representation and voter accessibility for all New Yorkers. All New Yorkers have a right to be included in the decision-making processes that affect them and their communities, and their ability to vote should not be hindered by lack of time or by lack of access to absentee voting, especially as the pandemic continues. That is why by voting yes on ballot proposals 1, 3 & 4, our communities are joining the fight to build a New York that is equitable, fair and representative of the diverse communities that call this state home." said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director, Asian American Federation