State lawmakers today poised to approve a package of bills designed to make it easier to vote in the state, longstanding measures that have been bottled up in the state Senate during Republican control.

“The bills we're going to be passing today are empowering New Yorkers and reforming the electoral system,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D).

The bills include allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, creating a system of early voting, consolidating the state and federal primaries into one day, and constitutional amendments for no-fault absentee balloting and same-day voter registration.

Stewart-Cousins says it's about catching New York up with the rest of the country when it comes to voter registration and the ease of casting a ballot on election day.

“It's time for New York to catch up and we can actually lead,” Stewart-Cousins said.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says it will improve the state's low voter turnout.

“Our turnout numbers are lower, so we're trying to do things to increase participation, make it easier for people to exercise their right to vote,” said Heastie.

But some Republicans, like Senator Cathy Young, have concerns.

“There aren't ways in most of the bills to verify someone's identity or make sure they're voting in one spot and people want make sure the integrity of the ballot is protected,” said Young.

Governor Cuomo's budget proposal is expected to include a provision to extend the time in which polls in upstate counties are open on party primary days to 6:00 a.m. instead of noon. Cuomo also wants Election Day to be a holiday.