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brooklynite

(95,019 posts) Tue Jan 15, 2019, 12:33 PM Jan 2019

Legislature passes sweeping electoral reforms (NY)

Source: Albany Times-Union

ALBANY — The state Legislature on Monday passed a slate of electoral reform bills that would update New York's arcane voting laws and increase access to the polls on Election Day.

The ambitious legislation, which included two bills requiring a constitutional amendment, moved hastily through committees and passed overwhelmingly in both houses on Monday afternoon.

Activists, noting New York's abysmal voter turnout compared to other states, have long pushed for these reforms, including closing a loophole that allows unfettered donations from limited liability companies, no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same-day voter registration, and state and federal primary consolidation.

Most of the measures had passed the overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly numerous times, but were impeded by Senate Republicans, who feared that such reforms would jeopardize the conference's slim majority in the chamber.

Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/NY-Legislature-passes-sweeping-electoral-reforms-13532415.php

Electoral reforms

Early Voting: Allows eligible voters in New York State to vote in person during a designated period.

Consolidation of Federal and State Primaries: Makes state primary elections the same day as federal primary elections. It also ensures that New York State's election law complies with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act.

Closing the LLC Loophole: Amends Election Law to hold LLC's to the same aggregate contribution limit of $5,000 that applies to corporations.

Same-Day Voter Registration: Amends the constitution to remove the ten-day advance voter registration requirement, subject to second passage of the next legislature and approval by a statewide referendum.

No-Excuse Absentee Voting: Amends the state Constitution to allow voter to request to vote by mail without declaring reason. Constitutional amendments must pass the Legislature twice and then be approved by voters in referendum.

Voter Registration Transfers: Requires the Board of Elections to transfer the registration and enrollment of a voter who moves within New York State.

Voter Pre-Registration: Enable 16- and 17-year olds to pre-register to vote and requires local boards of education to adopt policies to promote student voter registration and pre-registration.

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Legislature passes sweeping electoral reforms (NY) (Original Post) brooklynite Jan 2019 OP

Good on New York for these improvements... Wounded Bear Jan 2019 #1

Texas has had many of these provisions for a long time. summer_in_TX Jan 2019 #7

Hopefully, Wisconsin will be able to return to our old voting rules AllyCat Jan 2019 #2

They need to change their double jeopardy laws Fiendish Thingy Jan 2019 #3

+1 Power 2 the People Jan 2019 #4

Wouldn't that instate Igel Jan 2019 #6

Because the GOP are scum everywhere Danascot Jan 2019 #5

Wounded Bear

(58,795 posts)

1. Good on New York for these improvements...

Reply to brooklynite (Original post)

Tue Jan 15, 2019, 12:42 PM

Jan 2019

if only our friends in red states could do the same.

summer_in_TX

(2,772 posts)

7. Texas has had many of these provisions for a long time.

Reply to Wounded Bear (Reply #1)

Wed Jan 16, 2019, 01:27 AM

Jan 2019

Not same-day registration. Early voting has been a strength. And unfortunately we have a poll tax…oops, I mean voter ID.

AllyCat

(16,269 posts)

2. Hopefully, Wisconsin will be able to return to our old voting rules

Reply to brooklynite (Original post)

Tue Jan 15, 2019, 12:59 PM

Jan 2019

after 2020 election when we hope most of these horrible republicans will face a sound election, not the gerrymandered crap we have now. Good on NY!

Fiendish Thingy

(15,716 posts)

3. They need to change their double jeopardy laws

Reply to brooklynite (Original post)

Tue Jan 15, 2019, 01:08 PM

Jan 2019

Currently, if someone is pardoned for a federal crime, NY state law says they can’t be prosecuted for that same charge from the state.

Power 2 the People

(2,437 posts)

4. +1

Reply to Fiendish Thingy (Reply #3)

Tue Jan 15, 2019, 03:12 PM

Jan 2019

Igel

(35,390 posts)

6. Wouldn't that instate

Reply to Fiendish Thingy (Reply #3)

Tue Jan 15, 2019, 09:35 PM

Jan 2019

double jeopardy?

Most pardons are for those convicted.

(It's one of the things I don't much like about the "separate sovereign" doctrine. How many times can be you be tried for the same thing? As many times as there are levels of governments. It's a casuistic way to get around an impediment to retrying the same accused for the same act when one instance fails to achieve the desired outcome. That it is casuistry is seen in how the doctrine is applied: If you nail the person at one level, there's no desire to retry him at another. It's only used when the person "escapes" justice by being found innocent by the process that defines justice. It's part of the redefining of "justice" to mean different things in one discourse.)

Danascot

(4,699 posts)

5. Because the GOP are scum everywhere

Reply to brooklynite (Original post)

Tue Jan 15, 2019, 09:26 PM

Jan 2019

"Most of the measures had passed the overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly numerous times, but were impeded by Senate Republicans, who feared that such reforms would jeopardize the conference's slim majority in the chamber. "

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