News Clips

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has expanded a program that puts more translators at polling places across the city, but good government groups fear they won't be able to connect with voters. That's because the city's Board of Election is requiring them to set up more than 100 feet away.

The midterm elections are about a week away, but millions of people have already voted: More than half of states offer early voting in-person or by mail. New York is not one of them.

Asked what part of state election law needs the most tweaking, Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a not-for-profit that focuses on voting rights, said, “It’s hard to pick just one.” Lerner told the Herald Gazette that the Nassau County Board of Elections is particularly troublesome. “Nassau is one of the problem counties,” she said. Lerner described the county board as “patronage driven,” referring to almost 20 positions on it that are filled by people — Republicans and Democrats — whose relatives hold powerful positions in the county and the various municipalities under its umbrella.

Common Cause New York is encouraging voters to make their voices heard, and promoting their 'Let New York Vote' campaign meant to expand voting accessibility and advocate for voter reform. The group's executive director, Susan Lerner, explains.

At a press conference outside BOE headquarters on Thursday afternoon, Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause NY, said that her organization scrutinized the voter files from the primary after hearing from more than 100 people who experienced problems while trying to vote. "We were shocked to find over 300 people who were able to vote in the Democratic Congressional primary in June, who are now mysteriously switched to being 'unaffiliated,' so there are a lot of answers we need," Lerner said.

“People who've only voted in New York think all the elections across the country are the same craziness,” said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York. “They are not.”