(Albany, NY) — One day after being appointed Ranking Democratic Member of the New York State Senate Elections Committee, Senator Brian Kavanagh today joined with fellow legislators and advocates — including the Brennan Center for Justice, Citizen Action of New York, Citizens Union, Common Cause/NY, the League of Women Voters of New York State, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, and Transportation Workers United Local 100 — to urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to fully fund early voting in the Fiscal 2018-2019 Executive Budget.

New York has repeatedly ranked as one of the worst states for voter turnout, and barely more than half of voters regularly take part in each statewide election. This failure is largely driven by outdated laws that make it harder for New Yorkers to vote.

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“Democracy works best when more New Yorkers are able to effectively participate in our political discourse. Early voting will make voting less complicated for many New Yorkers who have to choose between casting a ballot and work, school, or personal commitments. Early voting and the other reforms will also ease pressure on polling sites, which will make voting more convenient. While we applaud the Governor for proposing these reforms, we hope the Governor and the legislature finally understand the importance of including these reforms in the state budget. An unfunded mandate that places the burden on counties and municipalities is neither fair nor responsible. The members of Brooklyn Voters Alliance urge Governor Cuomo and the legislature to allocate adequate funding for Early Voting as well as for Automatic Voter Registration,” said Jacques David of the Brooklyn Voters Alliance.

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