News Clips

“New York State will have early voting in name only without a dedicated funding stream,” said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. “Governor Cuomo must fund both early voting and electronic poll books if he actually wants to see this much needed reform succeed.”

The Let NY Vote Coalition, which advocated for early voting and other election reforms, called on Cuomo to include funding in the state budget for early voting. Cuomo's budget proposal doesn't include funding for early voting or other reforms.

These heady times at the Capitol have some of New York’s liberals pinching themselves. Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a reform group, said she was recovering from shock after watching Democrats in the first hours of the new legislative session pass voting reforms that had been stymied for years. “It’s whiplash,” Ms. Lerner said. “Is there more to do? Yes. But today, we’re celebrating.”

Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause-New York, called the reforms "a fantastic first step" and "long overdue." "New York can and will be a shining example of democracy," she said.

“We are finally beginning to see New York’s elections begin — just begin — to catch up with the rest of the country,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a good-government group.

“Nothing is 100 percent guaranteed in Albany,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a government reform group. But she added: “I think it would be very very difficult for people who were elected on the promise that they were going to heed the voice of the voter, to then turn around and just have it be old-fashioned Albany business as usual.”