Senator Webb and the Senate Majority Advances Legislation to Build On Election Reforms And Further Empower New York Voters

(Albany, NY) Today, Senator Lea Webb (SD-52) and the Senate Democratic Majority advanced a package of legislation that will improve New York State’s electoral system, allow for portable polling locations, expand ballot drop-off locations, establish the Democracy Preservation Act, establish the New York Voting and Elections Database, modify the ballot order, allow food and non-alcoholic drinks to voters waiting in line at the polls, establish voter suppression as a criminal offense, and allow the board of elections to join a multistate voter list maintenance organization. These actions continue the Senate Democratic Majority’s tradition of kicking off Session by passing major pro-voter, anti-disenfranchisement, pro-democracy legislation.

Said Senator Lea Webb (SD-52): “I thank Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for her leadership and for making sure that we make protecting our Democracy the Senate’s first order of business when we return to the chamber each January for the new legislative session. I was proud to vote for this package of legislation to build upon our election reforms, remove barriers to voting, end voter suppression, and to ensure that New York’s elections run fairly and efficiently. It is by breaking down barriers to participation that we will ensure every New Yorker is empowered to fully participate in the democratic process.”

The voting reforms passed by the Senate Democratic Majority, include:

• Crimes of Voter Deception and Suppression: This bill, S263, sponsored by Senator Stewart-Cousins, prohibits deceptive practices and the suppression of voters, and increases penalties for violations of the elective franchise. 
• Democracy Preservation Act: This bill, S371, sponsored by Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris would ban political spending by foreign-influenced business entities in New York’s state and local elections.  
• Refreshments at the polls: This bill, S.616, sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie, allows snacks and non-alcoholic drinks to be given to voters waiting in line at the polls. 
• Doctor John L. Flateau Voting and Elections Database and Academic Center of New York Act: This bill, S657A, sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie, establishes a New York voting and elections database and an academic center to maintain a statewide database of voting and election data and serve as a research hub. 
• Political Committee Public Website Transparency: This bill, S6675, sponsored by Senator Neil Breslin requires public-facing websites that are operated by political committees to include “paid for by” language. 
• Absentee Ballot Drop-off Box Locations: This bill, S610, sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, allows local Board of Elections to establish absentee ballot drop-off locations to provide voters with a convenient alternative option to submit their absentee ballots.
• Protecting Constitutional Rights: This resolution, B1460, sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger, rescinds calls for a constitutional convention to protect all existing constitutional rights.
• Portable Polling Locations: This bill, S242, sponsored by Senator Rachel May, amends the election law to allow counties the option to establish portable polling places for early voting.
• Ballot Order: This bill, S5943, sponsored by Senator James Skoufis modifies the order in which candidates appear on the ballot in descending order based on the size of the electorate and requires certain federal offices to be listed before state, county, and local offices. 
• Multistate Voter List Maintenance Organizations: This bill, S6173B, sponsored by Senator James Skoufis, authorizes the state board of elections to join a multistate voter list maintenance organization such as the electronic registration information center also known as ERIC.

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