February 25, 2019 (Queens County, NY): Jose Nieves, who is running to become the next Queens County District Attorney, announced today that the State and City Boards of Election must do more to raise voter awareness of the recent changes in the election law – and underscored how important it is that voters know that this year’s Primary Election will be held on June 25th.
In making the announcement, Nieves noted that the new date for New York State’s Primary Elections – which will, henceforth, coincide with the date for Federal Primary Elections – may lower voter turnout this year because not all voters will be aware of the change. “Because there are no Federal elections this year, June 25th will be a stand-alone date for New York State’s Primary Elections”, he said. “Hopefully, election officials, the media and community organizations will spread the word about this change – and encourage voters to come out and vote in June”.
In addition to changing the date for the state’s Primary Elections, the recently enacted legislation also made three other changes to the state’s election laws:
- Voters are allowed to cast their votes in person during the 10 days prior to an election day;
- A voter’s registration will automatically transfer when (s)he moves from one County to another within New York State; and
- Student drivers will be pre-registered to vote – which means they will be automatically registered when they turn 18 years old.
Nieves also noted that there is still much that can be done to improve New York State’s election laws. “While the legislature and Governor Cuomo should be praised for what they’ve done to make it easier for residents of New York State to vote in future elections, there is still much that needs to be done on this topic”, he noted. Some of the changes that Nieves has suggested are the following:
- Eliminating the need for candidates to gather signatures on petitions in order to run for office. This would open up access to the ballot to many more candidates and do away with the current process that allows one candidate to challenge another candidate’s signatures to get them kicked off the ballot.
- Restructuring Primary Elections so that they are non-partisan and allowing the two candidates who garner the most votes to advance to the General Election regardless of their party affiliation. This would allow an additional 2.6 million registered voters to participate in Primary Elections and ensure that voters have a real choice in every General Election.
- Allowing anyone to vote via an Absentee Ballot without requiring them to have an excuse for doing so. At present, voters can only vote via an absentee ballot for the following reasons:
- They will be absent from their county – or, if a resident of New York City, absent from there – on election day;
- They are unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability – or because they are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled;
- They are a resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital; or
- They are detained in jail awaiting Grand Jury action or confined in prison after conviction for an offense other than a felony.
- Permitting unregistered voters to register on Election Day – and to vote via provisional ballots that would be counted only after the voter’s registration information is verified.
- Stop taking away the right to vote from incarcerated individuals (Two states – Maine and Vermont – have already adopted this rule).
- Mandating that voter rolls not be purged within six months of an election – and requiring the local Board of Elections to send out written notices to everyone whose name is removed from the rolls and to publish a list of all such voters in all the local newspapers.
- Mandating that voting stations not be closed within six months of an election – and requiring the local Board of Elections to hold at least three public hearings before closing any voting station.
- Making more interpreters available at voting stations to help voters who need such assistance.
“Our state leaders have taken an important first step to improve our election laws – but there is much more than needs to be done in order to make it easier for candidates to run for office and for voters to cast their ballots’, Nieves noted. “Hopefully, they will continue to make progress on this topic”, he said.
“In addition, there are also things that need to be done at the local level to be sure that everyone who is eligible to vote has the opportunity to do so”, Nieves said. “Mayor de Blasio’s attempt to make more interpreters available in specific locations is a positive step forward – and the New York City Board of Elections should take advantage of that offer rather than suing the City to keep those people at least 100 feet away from the polling sites”.
For more information about Jose’s blueprint for changing the Queens County DA’s Office, please visit:
DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Changing the status quo is never easy. It takes good ideas, hard work and, unfortunately, money.
Raising funds to support my campaign to become the first new Queens County District Attorney in almost three decades is, unfortunately, a necessary part of the process. All amounts – $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 – or, for those of you who can afford to do so, $250 or more – will be greatly appreciated (Go to https://josenieveslaw.com/donate/ to make a donation now).
#FairAndEqualJusticeForAll
#TimeForRealChangeInQueensCounty
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU THINK SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE OPERATIONS OF THE QUEENS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
DONATIONS & VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Changing the status quo is never easy. It takes good ideas, hard work and, unfortunately, money.
Raising funds to support my campaign to become the first new Queens County District Attorney in almost three decades is, unfortunately, a necessary part of the process. All amounts – $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 – or, for those of you who can afford to do so, $250 or more – will be greatly appreciated (Go to https://josenieveslaw.com/donate/ to make a donation now).
#FairAndEqualJusticeForAll
#TimeForRealChangeInQueensCounty
PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU THINK SHOULD BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE OPERATIONS OF THE QUEENS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE