Albany Democrats Advance Controversial Election Law Changes
Written by Teddy on June 20, 2023
Albany politicians have made an art form out of sneaking controversial bills through the Legislature during the waning days and hours of the legislative session. By doing this, they can often avoid public scrutiny of their corrupt proposals until it is too late to stop them. Of course, this approach to policymaking is the opposite of good government.
This year, three election-related bills were rushed through the Legislature before the session came to a close. All three have given rise to strong objections.
First, the Legislature passed a bill that, if signed, will require that some county, town, and village elections be held during even-numbered years. Democrats claim that this bill is a cost-saving measure that could enable more elections to be held at the same time. According to the Buffalo News, Erie County Republican Election Commissioner Ralph Mohr contended that the bill would cause higher-profile federal and state races to “drown out attention” to local elections. Furthermore, the Buffalo News noted that the bill could help Democrats by driving higher turnout for local elections.
Second, according to the Gotham Gazette, the Legislature “passed a last-minute bill to bring a new form of universal mail-in voting to New York, relying on a novel interpretation of the state constitution that has so far required an ‘excuse’ for absentee voting.” The New York Early Mail Voter Act would let all voters mail in ballots during the nine-day early voting period. The bill was not introduced until the last week of the legislative session. While Democrats contend that the bill will enhance voter turnout, Republicans decried the bill as an insult to the New York voters who rejected a 2021 constitutional amendment that would have legalized universal mail-in voting.
Third, the Legislature passed a bill requiring constitutional lawsuits about election laws to be brought only in four Democrat-dominated counties: Albany County, Erie County, New York County (Manhattan), and Westchester County.
