Reps Nadler, Bowman, Maloney, Meng, Jeffries, Jones, + Rice Urge New Yorkers to Vote Yes on Proposals 1, 3, 4!

NEW YORK, NY (10/27/2021) (readMedia)-- Rep. Jerry Nadler, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Rep. Kathleen Rice, and Rep. Mondaire Jones are urging New Yorkers to vote yes on proposals 1, 3, and 4. They join major labor unions, state legislators, and dozens of civic engagement groups in endorsing the pro-democracy and pro-voter proposals. The three 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. Early Voting runs October 23rd - October 31st and Election Day is November 2nd.

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

"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.

"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.

The Yes on 1, 3, 4 Campaign has also been endorsed by labor unions DC37, 1199SEIU, 32BJ, NYSNA, and CWA District 1.

"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.

DC 37 is NYC's largest public employee union with 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees.

"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.

1199 SEIU represents 450,000 caregivers, and is the largest healthcare workers' union in the country.

"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.

32BJ SEIU represents more than 85,000 workers in New York, including cleaners in commercial and office buildings, public schools, theaters and event venues, residential building maintenance and support staff such as supers and doormen, security officers, window cleaners, and a variety of workers at airports.

"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.

The New York State Nurses Union represents 42,000 frontline nurses.

"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.

CWA District 1 represents 145,000 workers in telecommunications, health care, higher education, manufacturing, broadcast and cable television, commercial printing and newspapers, state, local, and country government.

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.