Press Release

Judge Marcelle has imposed an all consuming, and far reaching fidelity to uncontrolled executive power to deny New Yorkers independent oversight of our elected leaders. It is a fundamental tenet of good government that politicians can not police themselves, which this decision seeks to undo. Further, the judge argues that since there is no precedent for independent ethics oversight in New York state, it is somehow proof against concept rather than an argument in its favor. Corruption in New York is what's exceptional and unacceptable to the public. The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) is a well conceived idea from Governor Kathy Hochul that is a necessary answer to a shameful pattern of past executive overreach. The judge – and plaintiff Cuomo – prefer a toothless watchdog to an effective one. We urge the Hochul Administration and COELIG to appeal this absurd decision.

"New Yorkers beware: rouge, fake Board of Elections (BOE) 'employees' are harassing voters at their homes regarding their registration status. The BOE will only contact a voter via mail, e-mail, phone or in person at their County office. And never at their own home. This is voter intimidation: every voter has the right to ignore them and report it to the NYSBOE at 518-474-1953. We're calling on Attorney General James to investigate the organization and folks behind this spreading of misinformation, and look forward to working with the legislature to craft laws that protect voters against this staunch abuse of the voter rolls."

"Common Cause/NY applauds New York City, Ulster, Onondaga and Chautauqua counties for prioritizing tax dollars and election security over below standard, expensive machines. We encourage all counties to follow their excellent example by not purchasing the ExpressVote XL. Paper ballots marked by the voter, which New York currently uses, are the election security gold standard, and it's entirely unnecessary to fix a problem that doesn't exist especially ahead of the 2024 presidential election year when election security remains a fraught topic. Lawmakers must pass legislation that bans hybrid machines like the ExpressVote XL going forward."

"The New York State Board of Elections must reject the certification of the insecure voting machine, ExpressVote XL. Paper ballots marked by the voter -- which New York currently uses -- is the election security gold standard. We should not be spending taxpayer dollars on anything else. Next, lawmakers must pass legislation that bans hybrid machines like the ExpressVote XL for good."

"Democracy takes time, and every vote counts. Accurate and fair election results are worth waiting for," said Susan Lerner, Board Chair of Rank the Vote NYC and Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. "Even if no one clears 50% on Election Day, we'll get the results in a comparable amount of time with none of the additional cost. Ranked choice voting affords voters more choice and more voice and puts power back in the hands of the people, delivering consensus majority winners every time. It's a win-win for voters."