How Will the "Big Beautiful Budget" Affect our Community

End of Session Update

The Big Bill Download

As we near the end of session, let's take a look at where the bills the League has been advocating advocating for stand. Session was slated to end on June 12th, but the Assembly has officially extended their session to June 17th. We have yet to see if the Senate will do the same. Our post-budget advocacy packet can be found here.
ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center) (S1356A Skoufis/A3649B Taylor)
This bill would allow New York to join ERIC, a multistate voter list maintenance organization. The ERIC bill passed the Senate early in this legislative session. The bill has moved quickly through the Assembly Rules committee and has been ordered to a third reading. It now needs to get to the floor for a vote before the end of session on June 17.
What can you do? Call Speaker Carl Heastie's office (518-455-3791) and request that the bill be brought to the floor of the Assembly for a vote before the end of session.

Same Day Voter Registration Constitutional Amendment (S5751 Gianaris/A2162 Carrol)
This amendment would eliminate the current 10-day gap between the voter registration deadline and Election Day, allowing voters to register and vote on the same day. As a Constitutional Amendment, it must pass in two separately elected legislatures before appearing on the ballot for voter approval.It is unlikely to pass this session, which means it must be approved in the next session in order to advance to a second passage during the 2027–2028 session. This timeline would allow it to appear on the ballot during a presidential election year. The good news is that the bill will end this session with 30 Senate sponsors and 17 Assembly sponsors. Notably, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has signed on as a co-sponsor, a strong indication of support for its passage in the Senate.
What can you  do? See if your representative is a sponsor in the Senate here and the Assembly here. If they are not, call their office and ask that they sign on in support of the same day voter registration amendment, which would increase participation and keep New York's voter roles more accurate. Find your district here.

Democracy During Detention Act (S440 Myrie/A2121 Walker)
This bill would ensure fair and timely access to at least one secure voting method- such as absentee voting, voting by mail, or in-person voting at polling sites- for detained citizens who still retain their right to vote. This bill is gaining momentum and we want to continue to build the list of co-sponsors before the end of session. There are currently 22 Assembly sponsors and 12 Senate sponsors.
What can you  do?Tell your Assemblymember and Senator to co-sponsor the bill before the end of session by clicking here to write to them and here to call. Find your district here.

Senate District 51 Senator Peter Oberacker: 518-455-3131

District 102 Assemlyman Chris Tague: 518-455-5363

District 122 Assembly Brian Miller: 518-455-5334

LWVNYS's Advocacy Day

Thank you to Assembly Christopher Tague (District 102) who met with LWVCA’s Co-president Christina Bourgeois and Board Member Patty MacLeish at the LWVNYs’s annual Advocacy Day at the State House. He was one of the few state legislators who met in person with League members; most meetings were with staff members. Patty and Christina spoke to him about supporting two bills:  A2121, Democracy During Detention and A3649 and ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center).

Democracy During Detention will allow eligible incarcerated individuals to register and have access to the ballot. The Otsego County Sherriff’s Department and our county's  Board of Elections have been helpful with our League’s efforts to reach out to these voters, but it is not the case in every county. This legislation would codify access to the ballot. This legislation would involve county Boards of Election as part of the process, who will assure that voting regulations will be followed.

Assembly Tague (District 102) voted to move A3649, ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center)  out of the Elections Committee. ERIC is an effort to allow states to compare voting rolls which will allow Boards of Elections  to update voter rolls. The League agrees that ERIC is an efficient process that will allow states to easily update voter rolls. Learn more about ERIC

Stand Up for Democracy!

Take Action: Voice Your Opinion of the SAVE Act. 

What is the SAVE Act? It's an attempt by Congress to limit voter registration by setting up obstacles to voter registration. The House passed the bill, and now it's in the hands of the Senate and has been there for almost a month.  Review these talking points from the LWVUS to help you compose your message when you contact your representative. Read what the NCLS (National Council of State Legislators) says about the basic provisions, including a provision that establishes criminal penalities for election officials who mistakenly register someone who is not elegilble.
And check out this video from the LWVNY's series "Defending Democracy" which outlines the major faults of this proposal.

Contact our Senators (scroll down for contact information) and tell them you opppose the SAVE Act.
 Read more.

LWVUS on the State of the Country

Just over one month into the current Administration, the President has issued a series of executive orders and directed actions that violate the law and Congress’ power. Congress must act now to restore the stability of our nation before it’s too late.