New Yorkers will hit the polls on Tuesday, with the chance to vote on a handful of ballot proposals, some of which aim to increase voter turnout, while raising questions about security. There will be 31 poll sites across Clinton County on Election Day, coming after an unprecedented last Election Day where sites had to be consolidated. “They’re all open this year because we have enough poll workers to accommodate that,” said Jodi Currier, a Republican commissioner of the Clinton County Board of Elections. As of Monday morning, the board of elections had received 1,083 absentee ballots and 968 people showed up for early voting in Clinton County. “Last year it was crazy because of everything going on, but this year we were higher this year than we were in 2019 when we first started,” Currier said. What you’ll find on the back of the ballot are questions you may have heard some buzz about — from redistricting to the environment. One proposal would eliminate the requirement for New Yorkers to register to vote at least 10 days in advance. “Which would open the door for the legislature to pass what’s called same-day voter registration,” said Ronald Seyb, Ph.D., an associate political science professor at Skidmore College. Seyb says he would categorize such a policy under the umbrella of ‘convenience voting.’ “It allows people who kind of decide at the last minute, ‘I’d like to engage in the democratic process,’ to have the opportunity to do so, and the states that have adopted this proposal of same-day registration, we have seen increases in turnout,” he said. But it may lead to concerns over election security, such as people misrepresenting themselves, and verification concerns. “It could lead to some kinds of irregularities, that again, I don’t know would reach the level of vote fraud, but would actually lead to more burdens on election officials, I think that’s probably the case,” he said. Another proposal would authorize no-excuse absentee voting. “We’re the minority here. 34 states have no-excuse absentee voting,” he said.Right now – you need an excuse in New York State to vote by absentee, such as physical absence from the district, illness, or physical disability. Last year during the pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a similar executive order, but Seyb says it’s unclear if it contributed to voter turnout, amid a very ‘energized’ election, and voter turnout across the country was up. “It’s unclear based on that one experiment that you might say, whether it is the case that no excuse absentee voting would actually increase turnout, again we go back to what other states have done with this, it does seem to have at least a marginal affect on turnout,” Seyb said.Seyb says a pro of no-excuse absentee voting also fosters the idea of fewer barriers to voting and would give voters more time to look over the ballot and make a choice, while others argue it allows room for lobbying and leads to more questions about fraud. “You can understand why people differ on this. But I always come back when I talk to my students about the evidence. There’s just no evidence of systematic vote fraud in these states that do have no-excuse absentee voting, or same-day registration. It’s just not there right now,” he said. Clinton County election officials say this year feels calmer than last, with elections being more localized this year. “It’s just as important for people to get out and vote for these races as it is for president or governor,” said Mary Dyer, democratic commissioner of the Clinton County board of elections.
New Yorkers will hit the polls on Tuesday, with the chance to vote on a handful of ballot proposals, some of which aim to increase voter turnout, while raising questions about security.
There will be 31 poll sites across Clinton County on Election Day, coming after an unprecedented last Election Day where sites had to be consolidated.
Advertisement
“They’re all open this year because we have enough poll workers to accommodate that,” said Jodi Currier, a Republican commissioner of the Clinton County Board of Elections.
As of Monday morning, the board of elections had received 1,083 absentee ballots and 968 people showed up for early voting in Clinton County.
“Last year it was crazy because of everything going on, but this year we were higher this year than we were in 2019 when we first started,” Currier said.
What you’ll find on the back of the ballot are questions you may have heard some buzz about — from redistricting to the environment.
One proposal would eliminate the requirement for New Yorkers to register to vote at least 10 days in advance.
“Which would open the door for the legislature to pass what’s called same-day voter registration,” said Ronald Seyb, Ph.D., an associate political science professor at Skidmore College.
Seyb says he would categorize such a policy under the umbrella of ‘convenience voting.’
“It allows people who kind of decide at the last minute, ‘I’d like to engage in the democratic process,’ to have the opportunity to do so, and the states that have adopted this proposal of same-day registration, we have seen increases in turnout,” he said.
But it may lead to concerns over election security, such as people misrepresenting themselves, and verification concerns.
“It could lead to some kinds of irregularities, that again, I don’t know would reach the level of vote fraud, but would actually lead to more burdens on election officials, I think that’s probably the case,” he said.
Another proposal would authorize no-excuse absentee voting.
“We’re the minority here. 34 states have no-excuse absentee voting,” he said.
Right now – you need an excuse in New York State to vote by absentee, such as physical absence from the district, illness, or physical disability.
Last year during the pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a similar executive order, but Seyb says it’s unclear if it contributed to voter turnout, amid a very ‘energized’ election, and voter turnout across the country was up.
“It’s unclear based on that one experiment that you might say, whether it is the case that no excuse absentee voting would actually increase turnout, again we go back to what other states have done with this, it does seem to have at least a marginal affect on turnout,” Seyb said.
Seyb says a pro of no-excuse absentee voting also fosters the idea of fewer barriers to voting and would give voters more time to look over the ballot and make a choice, while others argue it allows room for lobbying and leads to more questions about fraud.
“You can understand why people differ on this. But I always come back when I talk to my students about the evidence. There’s just no evidence of systematic vote fraud in these states that do have no-excuse absentee voting, or same-day registration. It’s just not there right now,” he said.
Clinton County election officials say this year feels calmer than last, with elections being more localized this year.
“It’s just as important for people to get out and vote for these races as it is for president or governor,” said Mary Dyer, democratic commissioner of the Clinton County board of elections.
