Full List of Voting Reform Ideas
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO THE BALLOT 16 IDEAS TO INCREASE VOTER ENGAGEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY
VOTER REGISTRATION HOW IT GETS DONE
1 Allowing pre-registration for 16 and 17-year olds, which will become active when they turn 18. State Legislation (Kavanagh A2529, Carlucci S857)
2 Permitting voters to register on Election Day (i.e. same-day registration), as 11 other states already do. State Constitutional Amendment + Legislation (Kavanagh A5891, Gianaris S2391)
3 Expanding automatic voter registration using a variety of State and City databases, including, but not limited to, the Department of Motor Vehicles. State Legislation (Kavanagh A5972, Gianaris S2538)
ACCESS TO THE POLLS HOW IT GETS DONE
4 Enacting no-excuse absentee voting, which lets any voter request an absentee ballot for any reason.
State Constitutional Amendment + Legislation (Kavanagh A2644, Brennan A3874B) 5 Ensuring absentee ballots are accessible for all voters – including those with vision impairment.
State Legislation (Weprin A2104A, Griffo S5085)
6 Permitting early in-person voting for at least seven days prior to Election Day, including on weekends.
State Legislation (Kavanagh A8582A, Stewart-Cousins S3813B)
7 Exploring a vote-by-mail system, which has already been adopted in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado.
State Legislation (Krueger S2739)
8 Requiring the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to inform formerly incarcerated New Yorkers of the need to re-register to vote and giving New Yorkers convicted of felonies the right to vote while on parole.
State Legislation (Perry A6491, Hassell-Thompson S2023A)
IMPROVING ELECTION DAY OPERATIONS HOW IT GETS DONE
9 Instructing the City Board of Elections to notify New Yorkers about upcoming elections more than once per year and employ modern methods of communication, including email and text message. City Council Legislation + Board of Elections Initiative 10 Improving training, recruitment, and compensation for New York City poll workers. Board of Elections Initiative
11 Expanding poll inspections to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and surveying voters about their experience at the polls.
Board of Elections Initiative
12 Passing the Voter Friendly Ballot Act, which will allow for clearer, more understandable ballots.
State Legislation (Kavanagh A3389) ELECTION ADMINISTRATION HOW IT GETS DONE
13 Expanding access for Limited English Proficiency New Yorkers by publishing voting materials in additional languages and ensuring availability of telephonic “Language Line” service at poll sites.
State/City Legislation (Colton A4749, Golden S1703, Eugene (Int. 0255-2014) + BOE Initiative
14 Instituting Instant Runoff Voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, instead of holding costly runoff elections two weeks after primaries.
State Legislation (Kavanagh A5571, Lanza S4586)
15 Consolidating federal and state primary elections in New York instead of holding two separate primaries in even years, and three primaries in presidential years.
State Legislation
16 Strengthening laws against deceptive practices to prohibit the intentional dissemination of false or misleading information with the intent to prevent an eligible voter from casting a ballot.
State Legislation (Kavanagh A5841, Stewart-Cousins S2352)