Voting is the cornerstone of our republic, allowing citizens to create a government that embodies the will of the people. Yet for far too long, New Yorkers have had to navigate a burdensome and inconvenient voting process. This week, my Assembly colleagues and I passed legislation to increase access to the polls and ensure everyone has an opportunity to cast their ballots without having to jump through hoops to do it.

Often, the hardest part of voting is trying to find the time to do so. We all have busy schedules with work and family obligations that make it difficult to find time to make it to the polls on one specific day. That’s why we passed legislation establishing early voting during a nine-day period before any general, primary or special election (A.780). The bill requires polling locations to stay open for eight hours on weekdays and five hours on weekends and holidays, as well as to offer evening hours on at least two days.

Another issue that drives down turnout and increases costs is that New York is the only state where state and federal primaries are held on separate days.[1] To fix this, I co-sponsored and helped pass legislation to combine state and federal primary election dates to the fourth Tuesday in June and bring New York into compliance with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act (A.779). The Assembly also passed a measure that would allow any citizen to receive an absentee ballot – no questions asked (A.778). This will enable every New Yorker to vote by mail, giving voters more freedom and flexibility.

Additionally, I co-sponsored and helped pass a number of measures to make voting simpler and more straightforward, including establishing same-day voter registration (A.777) and allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote (A.774). These bills, along with legislation requiring county boards of elections to automatically transfer voter enrollment for New Yorkers who move from one county to another (A.775), will help streamline the voting process and further reduce barriers.

However, we can’t truly reform our election system without addressing the power that wealthy special interests exercise through massive campaign contributions. This is why I helped pass legislation to close the limited liability company (LLC) loophole (A.776). The measure would extend the $5,000 aggregate contribution limit for corporations to LLCs and require LLCs to disclose the names of individuals with membership interests. I’ve fought to close this loophole for several years to ensure that elections are about the will of the people, not the self-serving agendas of the ultra-rich.

It’s important that we do everything in our power to ensure that no one’s voice is silenced because of outdated voting laws. These election reform measures will help guarantee that the interests of everyday New Yorkers guide and shape our government – not those of the well-connected.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this or any community matter, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 315-452-1115 or at StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.