Attorney General Eric Schneiderman unveiled a package of measures aimed at overhauling and making it easier to vote in New York on Wednesday.
The measure, called the New York Votes Act, would create a system of early voting, automatic and same-day registration, consolidate state and federal primaries and shorten the deadline for registering in a political party.
“Any law that makes it easier to vote is a good law; any law that makes it harder to vote is a bad law,” Schneiderman said. “New York has long been a bastion of democracy, but our state’s current system of registration and voting is an affront to that legacy. The New York Votes Act will help our state become a national leader in protecting and expanding voting rights for New Yorkers.”
The legislation, broadly speaking, is similar to efforts backed by Democrats in the New York State Senate as well as the Assembly. Senate Democrats this week unveiled their own voter reforms this week as part of a response to Donald Trump’s administration.
Schneiderman’s legislation comes after his office conducted a review of voting in New York, identifying issues with registration and participating in party primaries.
Similar measures have stalled over the years in the Republican-controlled Senate. Lawmakers remain at odds over unifying the state’s primary dates for federal elections, held in June by court order, and state and local party primaries, held in September.