Assembly’s electoral reforms will strengthen NY voting process
In a democracy like ours, every person’s voice and vote counts. As a state Assembly member, it’s my duty to ensure that as many citizens as possible have the opportunity to be part of the electoral process, and that voters know where political messages – and the money behind them – come from.
It is for these reasons that I am putting my full support behind two new pieces of legislation that will strengthen our democracy. The first measure would bring early voting to our state while simultaneously increasing voter participation to ensure that as many voices as possible are heard. The second piece of legislation would require that more independent expenditures that influence elections be subject to financial campaign disclosure rules, helping ensure that voters know where the money behind the message is coming from.
Recently, experts estimated that voter participation in New York State on Election Day 2012 was less than 46 percent. In an effort to increase voter participation, I’ll be pushing for the passage of a bill that would create early voting in all general, primary and special elections in New York state (A.689).