Gov. Hochul is set to create a new method for voters to cast their ballots, making a pandemic-era change to voting permanent.
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023.Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to sign into law legislation that will dramatically expand voting access by allowing any registered voter to cast an early ballot by mail, according to multiple people directly familiar with the plans.
“New York must be a lifejacket for democracy and combat the national tide and demonstrate free, fair, elections with ease of participation,” according to the sponsor memo from state Sen. Michael Gianaris, the deputy majority leader. “This legislation intends to make New York state a leader in engaging the electorate, meeting voters where they are and opening up greater opportunities for people to have their choices made on the ballot.
Up to now, the only way for a voter to cast a ballot by mail was through the state’s absentee ballot system. Starting in 2020, lawmakers made a series of temporary changes to allow voters to more easily access absentee ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those provisions sunset at the end of last year.
“The New York Legislature has broad authority to provide options for voters on how to vote,” said Kathy Boockvar, president of Athena Strategies and former secretary of state for Pennsylvania who oversaw the 2020 election and led the efforts to allow Pennsylvania voters to cast their ballots by mail. “And that is exactly what this [law] is doing.”
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