Start Spreading the News: Early Voting Begins October 26th!

Zellnor Myrie, Latrice Walker, Common Cause/NY and voting advocates rally to vote early

Related Media

IMG_4325.jpeg

NEW YORK, NY (10/04/2019) (readMedia)-- With three weeks until early voting begins, NYS Elections Chair Senator Zellnor Myrie, and Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, joined with Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner, and voting rights activists to promote the historic first year of early voting in New York.

New Yorkers can find more information about where and when to vote at: www.voteearlyny.org

The new law gives voters 9 days before Election Day to vote, beginning October 26 and ending on November 3rd. Voters must vote at their assigned poll site, which they can find here. Voters can still cast their ballots on Election Day on November 5 at their regular poll site.

"Early voting is a gamechanger for New Yorkers who no longer have to choose between getting to work on time or exercising their democratic rights," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY and co-founder of Let NY Vote.

Senator Myrie sponsored the early voting legislation in the Senate. He and Assemblywoman Walker were instrumental in securing funding for early voting and electronic poll books in the 2019 budget.

"We like to tell our communities to get out and vote, but for years, New York put barriers between our voters and the ballot box. Too many voters couldn't make it to the polling place because family responsibilities or their work schedule got in the way. Not anymore. With early voting, we are empowering all New Yorkers to make their voices heard at the ballot box at the time that works for them. Finally, we can tell everyone in our community not just to vote, but to vote early!" said State Senator Zellnor Myrie.

"Voting should be easy and should happen often. Passing the Early Voting legislation and subsequent funding were important steps in removing barriers to access. Early voting increases voter participation and relieves congestion at polling stations on Election Day. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to educate the masses on where and when they can cast their ballots. Don't delay and begin voting October 26th!" said Assemblywoman Latrice Walker.

"After a relentless push by advocates for voting reform, busy New Yorkers will now have greater access to the ballot than ever before," said Jarret Berg, Co-Founder of VoteEarlyNY. "As we build a culture of early voting among the public, we look forward to working with administrators to optimize the program so it meets the access needs of our diverse communities."

The 2019 New York State budget also included $14.7 million for electronic poll-books and $10 million for counties to implement early voting; almost exactly the combined $25 million the Let NY Vote coalition had asked for. New York is now the 38th state in the nation to pass and fund early voting, and the 35th state with electronic poll-books.

Background:

Early Voting is just one of the many victories the Let NY Vote coalition had this legislative session consolidation of primaries as well as pre-registration of 16 and 17 year olds.

Let NY Vote's list of wins in the 2019 legislative session:

  • Early Voting (enacted into law): in place in 37 other states and now New York, allowing citizens to cast ballots in person days, sometimes weeks, before an election.
  • Pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds (enacted into law): 13 states plus DC allow for pre-registration for voting at 16 and 17 years old. Pre-registration increases the likelihood of voter participation among young adults. Engaging potential voters at a young age and bringing them into the voting process early helps create lifelong voters.
  • Consolidation of Primary Dates (enacted into law): Previously New York had two primary days in June and September, confusing voters. New York was the only state with two primaries.
  • Vote by mail (passed in leg, requires constitutional amendment): No eligible voter should have to provide a reason to be able to vote absentee.
  • Same day registration (passed in leg, requires constitutional amendment): 18 states and DC have Same Day Registration. Same Day Registration enables voters to register and vote at the same time and increases voter turnout.
  • Flexibility to Change Party Affiliation (enacted into law): New York had the most restrictive deadline in the country, locking out hundreds of thousands of voters during the primaries. The change of party deadline has been cut in half, a distinct improvement.