Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Making it easier to vote in New York State...


This comes in from Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda 87th A.D.

  
    I'm pleased to announce that the New York State Assembly has passed legislation that will render the process of voting easier. I firmly believe that a cornerstone of any viable democracy is voter engagement and participation. Under this bill, early voting would begin on the third Thursday prior to a general election and go right up until the Thursday before Election Day, providing voters with a two-week time frame to cast their ballots. In the case of a primary or special election, early voting would run from the second Thursday before regular voting until the Thursday prior to the actual election date, giving voters up to a week of early voting. Early voting polls would be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each weekday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
 
Local boards of elections would designate at least five early voting sites in each county, or borough, in the case of New York City. The local board of elections would automatically be designated as a polling place in each county/borough. Boards of elections would also be allowed to staff early voting sites with appointed inspectors or their own employees. Early votes would be secured throughout the early voting period and the results would not be released prior to the close of polls on Election Day. In addition, the names of each early voter would be recorded to ensure that early voters are properly removed from Election Day poll books. 
 
This early voting reform would give disabled voters and those who work non-traditional hours more flexibility to cast their votes well ahead of Election Day, it would also create shorter lines at the polls and give local boards of elections enough time to ensure that no one votes twice in the same election. If made law, New York would join 32 other states and the District of Columbia in permitting an alternative to in-person voting on Election Day.
 
 
Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda-87th District
1973 Westchester Ave
Phone: (718) 931-2620
Bronx, NY 10462
 
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