Press Release
Voting Rights Groups to New Yorkers: Don’t Wait, Vote Early!
Launch nonpartisan Election Protection Program at polls in sensitive locations in New York City
Press
Media Contacts
Maya Majikas
East Regional Communications Strategist
mmajikas@commoncause.org
202-736-5708
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That is especially significant at a time when the pandemic has disrupted the normal operations of the state legislature, said Common Cause Executive Director Susan Lerner, a good-government advocate.
“What we’re seeing is extraordinary consolidation of power by the governor and acquiescence by the legislature that undercuts our entire system of checks and balances,” Ms. Lerner said in an interview. “Without the normal appointment process, there’s no way to have any oversight or accountability.”
“What we’re seeing is extraordinary consolidation of power by the governor and acquiescence by the legislature that undercuts our entire system of checks and balances,” Ms. Lerner said in an interview. “Without the normal appointment process, there’s no way to have any oversight or accountability.”
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“Democracy doesn’t pause, it adapts. While the governor continues to triage the COVID crisis, the Legislature must take advantage of existing technologies to continue doing the people’s business remotely,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY. “Public services is a matter of moral leadership, and New Yorkers need our elected representatives to commit to staying in remote session now more than ever.”
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Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, said the state needs to expand early voting and streamline the process for absentee voting to ensure elections are held fairly and safely.
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“Tuesday’s election in Wisconsin was an avoidable travesty that need not occur in New York. With foresight and planning, like expanding absentee voting and increasing early voting days and poll sites, voters will be able to exercise their democratic rights without risking their lives,” Sarah Goff, the deputy director of Common Cause New York told Spectrum News.
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Common Cause/NY, a reform group, backed legislation advanced by Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, D-the Bronx, to make it easier for New Yorkers to qualify for absentee voting. The group also recommended New York double the number of early voting days from nine to 18 to increase voter participation.
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Common Cause wants to make sure what happened in Wisconsin doesn’t happen in New York. Deputy Director of Common Cause NY Sarah Goff says New York should expand early voting from 9 to 18 days, and increase access to absentee ballots, but also ensure voters who choose to cast ballots in person can do so. “With more time to vote and additional poll sites, we’re confident that we can disperse voters, reduce density, protect public health, and meet the goal of holding our elections safely and securely,” said Goff.
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Executive Director of Common Cause/NY Susan Lerner says though the Governor has been issuing plenty of executive orders, that can’t be the only way the state goes about its business…
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Common Cause of New York, a good government group that’s urged easier voter participation amid the pandemic, cheered Cuomo’s decision in a tweet Wednesday, but said the Legislature should provide wider access in statute. “This is a great start, however, New York cannot be ruled by executive order alone,” the group tweeted. “New York lawmakers must continue to hold a remote session to pass legislation that will protect New York voters forever.”
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Common Cause, an election watchdog group, applauded the Cuomo’s action, but said the state should expand absentee by law, not just a governor’s executive order, which is easily undone. “This is a great start, however, New York cannot be ruled by executive order alone,” the group wrote on Twitter. It has been urging lawmakers to continue the 2020 legislative session by convening remotely rather than adjourning because of the pandemic.
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“We need them to do the people’s business, and we’re sure they can use the tools to do it,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY... Common Cause – joined this week by elections commissioners across the state – also called for the expansion of absentee voting as a safety measure during the pandemic, something Lerner noted could be taken up in a post-budget “virtual” legislative session. And though Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo did it through executive order Wednesday for the June 23 primary, there's no reason voting...
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“Now that the budget is finalized, New York lawmakers can and must address the myriad policy issues and COVID-19 related legislation, including expanding absentee voting which is crucial to ensuring the success of our elections in June and November,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York.
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“We need to have diverse voices heard in these policy decisions,” said Common Cause New York’s Susan Lerner. “Our representative system is geographically based, with the idea that different communities have different needs and therefore are individually represented with elected officials who can best articulate what their community needs.”