By 6 p.m., nearly 2.2 million New Yorkers and counting had turned up to vote in Tuesday’s election—many saying they were motivated by the chance for change and hopes for unity following a divisive presidential campaign season.
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.
“Ballot measures are an opportunity for voters to directly weigh in on policies that affect their day-to-day lives and the future of our state. When incomprehensible ballot language forces voters to cede this opportunity, their voices are effectively silenced.”
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.
“By voting on The People’s Money, New Yorkers are not just selecting projects; they are participating in a shared vision for our city’s future.”
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.”
In Tuesday’s general election, there are 35 City Council races with more than one candidate on the ballot, as well as contests for Queens District Attorney, Civil Court, Surrogate and Supreme Court judges, and two proposals that would amend the state constitution in relation to debt limits.
“At a time when Americans’ faith in our government is at an all time low, outsourcing the functions of our democracy to a machine with a history of issues and little ability for verification is a risk that New York cannot afford.”
“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.”
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