Advocates react to new early voting law signed by Gov. Hochul
The Early Mail Voter Act goes into effect just in time for the 2024 presidential election.
ALBANY, NY (WBNG) - A new bill signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul will give New Yorkers another option for casting their ballot in upcoming elections.
On Sept. 20, Hochul signed the Early Mail Voter Act, which allows all New York residents the opportunity to request a mail-in ballot during the early voting period. All registered voters will have the opportunity to request a mail-in ballot up to 10 days before Election Day and will receive a ballot with postage-paid return envelopes. Hochul acknowledged that other states have already implemented similar laws, but says it’s now New York’s turn to expand options for voters.
“We’re going to right the wrong of the past and say it’s finally time that people can vote by mail,” Hochul said on Wednesday at the New York Law School. “We saw it work during the pandemic. We can do this.”
The Let NY Vote Coalition lobbied for the act and called legislators to express why they think the act is so important to pass. Democracy Coalition Coordinator for Citizen Action New York Karen Wharton and Executive Director of Common Cause New York Susan Lerner were by the Governor’s side after she signed the bill that the two advocated for over several months.
“Whether it’s because there’s a disability, or they’re ill or have to have surgery for whatever reason, maybe they just don’t feel like going down,” Wharton told 12 News. “I think that the more options we give people, the more likely they are to exercise their rights.”
Shortly after the bill was signed, a coalition of Republican groups and lawmakers filed a lawsuit in the Albany state Supreme Court to strike down the law, saying it compromises the integrity of the election. Both Wharton and Lerner disagree.
“Approximately 40% of New York voters took advantage of an expanded absentee balloting for the pandemic, where there was a special exception created a special justification to get an absentee ballot,” Lerner said. “We know that New York has done this already. We know that New York voters have embraced it, and we know that the election administrators are able to handle it.”
The Early Mail Voter Act takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024.