Voting rights in New York State are expanded as Andrew Cuomo signed the first bills approved during this year's legislative session into law, but the governor says he will propose further measures designed to encourage voter turnout.

Early voting — opening the polls eight days before Election Day — was touted by Cuomo as a way of boosting New York's voter turnout numbers, which he says is among the lowest of the states.

"The early voting is going to be transformative for the system, and one of the things that this legislation does is it brings early voting to New York, and I say 'amen' to that," said Cuomo, D-New York.

Also touted: Synching federal and state election dates, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register so they can vote when they turn 18, and automatically transferring the names of voters to the rolls of the county which they're moving to.

Cuomo also stated he wants primary polls to open across upstate earlier, at the same time as New York City, registering automatically and also online, and making Election Day a holiday. The governor's office stated those proposals are in an upcoming Cuomo budget.

Actor and director of Escape at Dannemora Ben Stiller was also at the signing.

"This issue of voting rights is very important for all New Yorkers. You know, it's fundamental to our democracy, and right now, as the governor was saying, the federal government is really, you know, not trying to help people have access to voting. It's really making it harder," said Stiller.