Dozens of other states have embraced some version of an Equal Rights Amendment in their constitutions. New Yorkers will get a chance to vote in November on whether to expand the class of people protected against discrimination in the Equal Protection Clause of the state constitution.
The November presidential election is pivotal, environmental advocates say: Americans are deciding between Vice President Kamala Harris, who has a track record in climate action, and Donald Trump, who continuously denies that climate change exists.
“A potential backslide in 2025 would not only undermine our progress, but also stall momentum toward achieving long-term gender equity in political leadership at all levels of government.”
Voter education is one hurdle. But a bigger one, advocates say, is the cumbersome voting process itself for people behind bars. “There are impediments and obstacles that create real and serious concerns about the viability of an absentee ballot,” said Cesar Ruiz, associate counsel at LatinoJustice.
According to the New York State Board of Elections, 329 candidates registered for the first state-level public campaign finance program, which aims to curb the influence of big money in politics by matching small, local donations with public funds.
“The district attorney decides who to charge with crimes, what crimes to charge, what length of sentence to seek, and what, if any, alternatives to incarceration they will offer. Despite their influence and the ever-expanding role ‘public safety’ occupies in the public discourse, these incumbents rarely face a serious challenger on Election Day.”
“We still see some of the same voting suppression tactics due to the systemic racism embedded in our voting system. Black women and communities of color continue to fight for the right to vote, work that is especially important as different states throughout the country are actively advancing regressive legislation that will end that right for many.”
“An analysis of voter turnout by the New York City Campaign Finance Board found that from 2008 to 2018, only 3 percent of registered voters cast their vote in every election in which they were eligible. More than a fifth of registered voters did not turn out to vote in any election in which they were eligible to vote.”
Of the $19,000 in donations to 14 sitting council members or candidates, $13,900 comes from Taxpayers for an Affordable New York, run by the Real Estate Board of NY. Another $4,600 comes from Rent Stabilization Association’s PAC, and $500 from the Neighborhood Preservation Political Action Fund, which appears to be linked to an RSA staffer.
“While record youth turnout across the country enabled Democrats to hold the U.S. Senate and make gains in swing districts barely won by President Joe Biden, the New York vote looked more like the pre-Trump era of apathy and disengagement.”
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