Senator Montgomery's Guide to Early Voting

Dear Neighbor,

It is clear, more than ever, that every election matters and every vote counts. New Yorkers deserve the right to have their powerful voices heard and be given the ability to participate in the electoral process. Under the leadership of Senate Democratic Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, the Legislature passed historic election reforms to strengthen democracy in New York State.

The reforms include:

• Early Voting to allow for primary and general elections to be open 10 days prior to Election Day.
• Consolidation of State and Federal Primaries into a single date to comply with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act.
• Voter Registration Transfer requires the Bd. of Elections to transfer the registration and enrollment of a voter to wherever they move in NYS.  
• Close the LLC Loophole. LLCs will now have the same aggregate con- tribution limit of $5,000 that applies to corporations; and increase transparency by requiring disclosure of the identity of individuals with membership interests in LLCs and attribute contributions to members of LLCs.  
• Pre-Registration of Eligible 16 –Year-Olds, which would automatically make them registered voters by the time they reach the age of 18.
• Extend Party Registration Deadline to February 14th to allow more time for a voter to enroll in a party prior to a primary election.

Election Reforms Enacted through the FY 2019-2020 Budget:

• Authorized the usage of electronic poll books across the state.
• All statewide primary poll sites will now be open from 6am to 9pm, creating a more uniform process across the state.
• $10 million in funding to support the implementation of early voting.
• Prohibits lobbyists, labor unions, PACs, and other independent expenditure committees from providing loans to candidates and committees.
• Establishes a temporary Public Campaign Financing and Election Commission to make recommendations for the implementation of a voluntary public campaign financing system for statewide public offices. The Commission has to report to the Legislature by December 1, 2019, said recommendation shall become law by December 22, 2019 unless over- turned by the legislature.

I look forward to our continued partnership to increase voter empowerment.

Sincerely,

Senator Velmanette Montgomery, 25th Senate District

Download Senator Montgomery's Guide to Early Voting or or call Senator Montgomery's office at 718-643-6140 to request a copy.