Editorial

It’s about time New York enacted voting reform

Posted

New York’s voter turnout record is poor at best, abysmal at worst, even in a high-profile presidential election such as the national melee that we witnessed in November. A paltry 52 percent of New Yorkers cast ballots in the race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton (both New Yorkers), compared with the national average of 57 percent.

That’s probably because New York makes it so much more difficult to vote than in other states. Forty states offer some form of early voting, according to www.vote.org. New York isn’t one of them.

The Herald opined on this issue last fall, in the days after the election. Now we’re thankful to see at least one elected New York official calling for reform. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, has taken up the cause, proposing a package of measures, called the New York Votes Act, to make it considerably easier for New Yorkers to register and cast their ballots.

We fully support Schneiderman’s pleas for change. Here’s what he’s proposing:

• Automatic voter registration. Any state or local agency that collects a resident’s application information for services would be required to electronically transmit that person’s identifying information — name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number — to the State Board of Elections, which would then electronically forward it to the applicant’s local Board of Elections. The board would verify the information and register the person. An applicant would have the right to opt out of the registration process by checking a box on the agency’s electronic or paper form.

• Same-day registration for new voters. The attorney general would like to amend state election law to allow anyone who is not registered to vote to appear at the appropriate polling place on the day of any primary, general or special election, register to vote, and then cast a ballot. Once the registration was processed and vetted by the Board of Elections, the voter’s ballot would be counted and the voter would be added to the voting rolls.

• Online voter registration and absentee ballot applications. Schneiderman would allow electronic voter registration and online applications for absentee ballots, so that any registrant could complete the entire voter registration or absentee ballot application by computer or handheld device.

• Permanent voter registration. The attorney general would require boards of elections to maintain and update the registration of any voter who moved into the state and submitted a change of address form to the Board of Elections or a designated state or local agency.

Additionally, Schneiderman would allow already-registered voters to change their party affiliations up to 120 days before primary elections.

In terms of voting itself, Schneiderman is proposing:

• An early-voting system. He would allow registered voters to cast their ballots at the local boards of elections in the counties where they are registered, or at other designated polling places, seven days a week, starting two weeks before an election.

• “No excuse” absentee voting. Schneiderman would repeal the current requirement that absentee ballots can be obtained and cast only if certain statutory criteria are met, such as being unable to vote at a polling place because of illness or disability. Absentee ballots would also be available online.

• Uniformity of poll site hours. The attorney general would fix voting hours statewide, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Under existing law, except in New York City and seven counties, polling places do not open until noon on primary days.

Additionally, Schneiderman would consolidate federal, state and local primaries on a single day, hold statewide primary elections on one day in late June and enact disaster-preparedness protections.

In Colorado, all voters receive ballots in the mail –– and all they have to do is fill them out and send them back in. It’s little wonder that Colorado had among the highest voter-participation rates last November — nearly 67 percent. And that figure proves a critical point: People aren’t necessarily apathetic about voting. They will cast ballots if the process works for them. New York should make the process work for the people.

Politics, as they say, is a contact sport. It’s about time the state Board of Elections makes contact with we, the people. The State Legislature must approve Schneiderman’s New York Votes Act. We suggest that it do so as soon as possible.