News Clips

"The deadline is crucial in order to make sure that the Board can purchase the necessary upgrades to the existing voting machines for ranked-choice voting," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York.

“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.

"It is absolutely unimaginable that the people who are running our elections do not understand that their job is to help voters, and that they should be grateful for the assistance of New York City, which is the government for all New Yorkers," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, during the rally.