For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.One fix would be to allow early voting. There are 32 states that give voters a chance to cast their ballots early and in person, some providing polling spots on weekends. Democrats in New York’s Assembly voted this week to give voters as many as 15 days and two weekends before Election Day to cast their ballots in person. The bill would require multiple voting sites in each county. This would reduce long lines, especially in the cities, on Election Day. All but one Republican voted no. And Senate Republicans are resisting, too. Why? Not, they say, because they want to discourage voting. Their complaint is that early voting would be too expensive for upstate counties. That problem could be addressed by cutting back on the extra hours and adding a little extra state money. There are other ways that New York’s reluctant legislators could make voting a less frustrating experience. They could make it easier for voters to change parties, which can take longer than a year. They could simplify confusing ballots. They could require the New York City Board of Elections to hire qualified people, not simply political cronies, to run the elections. They could set up a system of public financing to encourage greater competition in most races, which in turn would help attract people to the polls. Early voting, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports, would be a good start. The Senate leader, Dean Skelos, and his fellow Republicans should agree to give voters a break on Election Days. Sunday, May 12, 2013
Early Voting Means Easier Voting
New York State is a national laggard when it comes to voting. The state has one of the worst voter turnout records in the country, not least because the act of voting is cumbersome and uninviting. In November, 53.6 percent of registered voters cast ballots, leaving New York 44th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for voter participation. For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.One fix would be to allow early voting. There are 32 states that give voters a chance to cast their ballots early and in person, some providing polling spots on weekends. Democrats in New York’s Assembly voted this week to give voters as many as 15 days and two weekends before Election Day to cast their ballots in person. The bill would require multiple voting sites in each county. This would reduce long lines, especially in the cities, on Election Day. All but one Republican voted no. And Senate Republicans are resisting, too. Why? Not, they say, because they want to discourage voting. Their complaint is that early voting would be too expensive for upstate counties. That problem could be addressed by cutting back on the extra hours and adding a little extra state money. There are other ways that New York’s reluctant legislators could make voting a less frustrating experience. They could make it easier for voters to change parties, which can take longer than a year. They could simplify confusing ballots. They could require the New York City Board of Elections to hire qualified people, not simply political cronies, to run the elections. They could set up a system of public financing to encourage greater competition in most races, which in turn would help attract people to the polls. Early voting, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports, would be a good start. The Senate leader, Dean Skelos, and his fellow Republicans should agree to give voters a break on Election Days.
For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.One fix would be to allow early voting. There are 32 states that give voters a chance to cast their ballots early and in person, some providing polling spots on weekends. Democrats in New York’s Assembly voted this week to give voters as many as 15 days and two weekends before Election Day to cast their ballots in person. The bill would require multiple voting sites in each county. This would reduce long lines, especially in the cities, on Election Day. All but one Republican voted no. And Senate Republicans are resisting, too. Why? Not, they say, because they want to discourage voting. Their complaint is that early voting would be too expensive for upstate counties. That problem could be addressed by cutting back on the extra hours and adding a little extra state money. There are other ways that New York’s reluctant legislators could make voting a less frustrating experience. They could make it easier for voters to change parties, which can take longer than a year. They could simplify confusing ballots. They could require the New York City Board of Elections to hire qualified people, not simply political cronies, to run the elections. They could set up a system of public financing to encourage greater competition in most races, which in turn would help attract people to the polls. Early voting, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo supports, would be a good start. The Senate leader, Dean Skelos, and his fellow Republicans should agree to give voters a break on Election Days. 