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Gov. Cuomo Signs New Law to Make Voter Registration Easier, More Convenient

Gov. Cuomo Signs New Law to Make Voter Registration Easier, More Convenient

By Yehudit Garmaise   

   Today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved a new law that he hopes will make voter registration easier and more convenient for New Yorkers, and thereby increase voter registration in the state. 

    The governor’s new law simplifies the process of registering to vote, by providing a single application for services that also includes automatic voter registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies that interact directly with New York residents.

   For example, when filling out applications for a driver's licenses, New Yorkers now will also be able to register to vote on the same application.

    Only eligible voters may choose their political parties and register on the new single application, which will be transmitted to the State Board of Elections with the signature and consent of the applicant. 

     "The right to vote is one of, if not the most, sacred pillars of our democracy and for too long, bureaucratic red tape has made it unnecessarily difficult for New Yorkers to exercise this right," said Gov. Cuomo, who has long been trying to make voting more accessible to New Yorkers, but providing innovations, such as the absentee mail-in ballots and nine days early voting before the election on Nov. 3. “New York has already made elections more accessible, but we are far from finished. 

   “With this new law on the books, we are taking this work a step further and not only instituting automatic voter registration, but creating a single uniform platform for registering online."

   Access to the ballot box should be easy and fair, and enacting Automatic Voter Registration will go a long way towards improving voter participation,” said Sen. Michael Gianaris. “I am proud and thankful that the governor has signed this bill, paving the way for over a million more New Yorkers to vote."

    Opposition to the measure in the Legislature arose over concerns that undocumented immigrants would be eligible to register to vote under the measure, but lawmakers who supported of the new law have said that their legislation provides “safeguards” to prevent that from happening.


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