CITIZENS GROUPS SUPPORT PUSH FOR EARLY VOTING

To the Editor,

New York is stuck. Free New York.

New York needs voting reform to bring voting procedures into the 21st century. Once we were mostly farmers and stayed in one place. Now we are away from home often for reasons beyond our control–employment, education, child care, care of an ill friend or relative,  etc. The rules that limit our chance to vote to one day and one place need to be changed. Early voting is key.

A Sienna poll shows 65 percent of New Yorkers want early voting. The governor understands that New Yorkers want a better chance to vote. We want to have a say in our government through voting. We do not want to be near the bottom among the states (in 2016 we were 41st of the 50 states in voters). We want to join the rest of our country in the 21st century, not stay stuck in the 19th.

In Dec. 2016 and Jan. 2018, the governor responded to this demand by proposing reforms that would increase participation of voters in elections. The most essential reform is early voting. Early voting and many of the governor’s promised reforms have been passed by the NY Assembly repeatedly. However, these reforms have not been passed by the NY Senate. We are left stuck with 19th century voting procedures.

After a presentation of public testimony was allowed at a NY Senate committee meeting on June 4, 2018, the Senate Elections Committee has sent bills for these reforms, including early voting, on their way through the NY Senate. They must get to the Senate floor before June 20, 2018. Now is the moment to raise your voice with your state senator and your assemblyperson. Demand they pass voting reform this session.

Sincerely,

Kathy Walters

Upper Nyack

Rockland Citizens Action Network

Catherine Ray

Ossining

Cortlandt Croton on Hudson Ossining Peekskill Indivisible

Paul Dinter

Ossining

Cortlandt Croton on Hudson Ossining Peekskill Indivisible