Voting Rights

Common Cause/NY released a white paper today with recommendations on how New York elections can proceed during a pandemic, including...

We urge the Governor and lawmakers to consolidate the presidential primary and other relevant special elections with the June 23rd legislative and congressional primary. Generally we believe that elections should not be postponed, however, the current circumstances require extraordinary measures. Consolidating the primaries is a prudent public health measure that does not undermine our democracy, and frees up much needed funding for more immediate public health needs.

“Early voting is going to make a significant difference for countless numbers of New Yorkers by making polling places so much more accessible and allow voters to determine when it is most convenient for them,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York.

Lawmakers and advocates on Thursday rallied at the Capitol for a bill that would automatically register people to vote in New York — a measure supporters say is needed to fully engage the public in the political process. The proposal would work like this: Anytime a potential voter interacts with state government through actions like submitting an application for driver's licenses or a fishing permit, they would be automatically registered to vote. They would have to affirmatively opt out of being registered. "It's an automatic transfer of information the government already has about you," said Susan Lerner, executive director, Common Cause.

But one person’s transparency is another’s invasion of privacy. Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause NY, called the move "shocking," particularly after states, including New York, refused to turn over voter data to the federal government for President Trump’s now defunct voter fraud commission.

The BOE has proposed purchasing a new fleet of uncertified voting machines to solve the issues, but local officials say that will only add to the problems. “It’s hackable, the ballot is changeable,” said Susan Lerner with Common Cause.