Senate Dems look to simplify voting process ahead of federal and state primaries

The New York State Senate Democratic Conference is sponsoring a package of bills to simplify the voter registration process for primary, general and special elections after releasing their own report researching low voter turnout.

The Senate Democratic report, “Why Don’t More New Yorkers Vote? A Snapshot Identifying Low Voter Turnout,” explains in the executive summary that New York was “41st in turnout in the nation, and [was] worst in the Northeast” during the 2016 general election. This conclusion was based on “unofficial results” available on the state election board’s website cited in the study and an additional study done by the U.S. Election Project.

The conference also wants to pre-register 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. The bill (S.4440/A.1687) allowing this is sponsored by Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, D-Brooklyn, and Assemblyman Walter Mosley, D- Brooklyn, and resides in the Senate Elections committee and the Assembly Election Law Committee.

To read the full story, visit http://legislativegazette.com/senate-dems-look-to-simplify-voting-process-ahead-of-federal-and-state-primaries/