NY Senator Gianaris Calls for Universal Voter Registration

In the aftermath of National Voter Registration Day, New York Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh (D-Manhattan) called for the enactment of their Voter Empowerment Act which would automatically register every eligible citizen to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles and other government agencies, only excluding those who affirmatively opt out. This reform would newly register more than two million New Yorkers to vote.

In addition to automatically registering eligible consenting citizens, the Voter Empowerment Act would allow voters to automatically update their information, permit pre-registration of 16- and 17- year-olds, automatically transfer registrations of New Yorkers who move within the state, provide access to voter registration records and registration of eligible citizens online, and allow people to register or change their party later in the election cycle.

“There is no good reason why our citizens are made to jump through hoops just to exercise their democratic rights,” said Senator Michael Gianaris. “We must do all we can to increase New York’s dismal voter participation rates and automatically registering eligible citizens to vote would be a great start.”

“Our current voter registration system makes it far too difficult for New Yorkers to get themselves registered and get to the polls,” said Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh.

The reforms laid out in the Voter Empowerment Act aim to modernize the voter registration system and help the democratic process.

“If we want to make sure more voters show up on Election Day, we need to make sure they are all registered. New Yorkers deserve automatic voter registration, let’s make sure they get it in 2016,” urges Amy Loprest, Executive Director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

“National Voter Registration Day should be of particular importance to New Yorkers. Our state has the unfortunate distinction of ranking 44th in voter participation. This is not because New Yorkers are lazy. Voter participation is low in this state because our processes by which we register to vote and cast our ballots in New York have not kept up with the changing times in which we live,” said Josh Mumm, Outreach Manager for Common Cause New York. “Advances such as early voting and same day registration are very popular across the country – and we need them here as well. Even simple measures, such as pre-registration of 16 and 17 year-olds, seem to go nowhere in Albany. We’ve worked with Senator Gianaris on these issues in the past, and are encouraged to have him as an ally in our efforts to increase voter participation in New York.”