Real Democracy
We’ve long heard New York state politicians promise to clean up Albany, only to see the same corrupt system persist. Today New York has some of the most restrictive voting laws that disenfranchise New Yorkers, and some of the weakest campaign finance laws in the country. New Yorkers don’t think their voices will be heard in Albany. That needs to change. If elected, I will fight for:

Real campaign finance reform, including an end to the LLC loophole, limits to outside income, and full public financing of state elections
Greater transparency for donors to politicians and PACs, so New Yorkers know who’s behind their politicians
Dramatically expanded voting rights including same-day registration, automatic voter registration, early voting, open primaries, greater language support, and an end to felony disenfranchisement.

Every American has a constitutional right to vote. It is one of the main ways constituents can make their voices heard. Making the voting process easier, more open, and more accessible is the first step toward ensuring that our voices are being heard. Legislation restricting voting disproportionally affects working-class communities and communities of color. This damages our democracy and silences voices that have a right to be heard.

My plan to improve our weak voting system includes:

• Increasing voter participation by allowing early voting, so that people aren’t prevented from exercising their constitutional rights just because they work long hours.
• Enacting automatic voter registration, because there shouldn’t be any barriers preventing people from registering to vote.
• Increasing ballot access for naturalized citizens by making ballots available in multiple languages so no one feels disenfranchised because English is a second language.
• Empowering young people by giving 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote in local municipal elections.