Opinion: Attacks on voting rights have begun – New York must be bold and fight back

President Donald Trump continued his unconstitutional campaign to dismantle American democracy last week, this time issuing an executive order that will disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. We should be honest about what is really happening here. Trump claimed the executive order is intended to prevent noncitizens from voting. In reality, because it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, it almost never happens.

What’s really happening (under the details) is the most significant attack on the right to vote in years and meant to throw up new obstacles to voter registration and voting for millions of eligible voters. That’s why the order was widely condemned by numerous state election officials, and groups like the ACLU, which have threatened legal challenges.

But it’s also clear after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back the precedent in Roe v. Wade that we can no longer rely on it to respect precedent and protect our rights. There’s never been a more critical time for lawmakers in Albany to step forward.

Now is the time for Albany to defend the right to vote for all eligible New Yorkers in detention, expand voter access with enhanced automatic voter registration and support our election officials and state agencies with the resources to ensure all eligible voters in New York know about their voting options.

While the current administration is seeking to limit the right to vote, New York should fight to ensure that as many New Yorkers as possible are given the power to vote. The Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration (S88) bill would bring in more than 2 million eligible but unregistered voters – including many New Yorkers who are low-income people of color who have been excluded from participating in our democracy.

Importantly at a time when our voting system is under threat from baseless attacks, EAVR doesn’t just expand access – it also improves security, using automated verification to prevent errors that could inadvertently register noncitizens or ineligible individuals. And it helps keep voters registered when they move, reducing time and hassle for people who relocate.

We also know that even under our current system it is in practice nearly impossible for eligible voters who are detained in jails and other detention facilities to exercise their right to vote. The Democracy During Detention Act (S6875/A9612) would correct this injustice by establishing the infrastructure needed to facilitate voting for eligible detainees.

Finally, as lawmakers try to bring the state budget to the finish line, funding for our election officials is important too. Voting rights bills can’t live up to their potential if state agencies are not informing people of their rights. That’s why the state must allocate at least $10.8 million in the upcoming budget for implementation of these bills and voter outreach and education. 

As legislators in Albany work on the state budget, these common-sense reforms on voting should be incorporated into the budget. These attacks on voting from Washington, D.C. make clear that we are again living in a time when the fierce urgency of now demands action.