Gov. Hochul signs new election laws that aim to boost voter turnout

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a raft of new election laws, making it easier for some teenagers to register to vote, expanding who qualifies as poll watchers and moving some noncompetitive contests lower on the ballot.

Though the changes are small in scope, they could boost voter turnout and engagement, said Blair Horner, executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

"New York state voter turnout is lower than the national average. Even if these new laws are relatively small steps forward, all of these things help," Horner said.

Among the changes, the new laws:

• Allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by Election Day to apply for absentee or early mail ballots. They have to be registered to vote before applying. "When young people go to college, many, like my son, might be unable to vote if they do not turn 18 before the absentee deadline," Assemb. Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) said in a statement. "Now, preregistered voters will be able to request absentee ballots. I knew we needed to do something because everyone deserves the right to make their voice heard."
• Allow attorneys to work as poll watchers in a county where they don’t live. Supporters note the state always struggles to find poll watchers to work on Election Day – each voting site needs a Republican and Democratic poll watcher. The law says a poll watcher must be registered to vote in the county where they intend to serve. This new law would grant an exception to attorneys in part because a state licensed attorney can practice in any county in New York and likely expand the pool of poll watchers.
• Move noncompetitive judicial elections to the bottom of the ballot. Judicial races often are listed at the top of the ballot, even if candidates face no opponents. That can result in voter "drop off" — leaving blank — of competitive contests farther down the ballot, said Sen. James Skoufis (D-Cornwall). The new law "makes a minor modification to the order in which candidates appear, establishing a consistent and logical structure to every ballot, no matter the election," Skoufis said.
•  Allow a voter more time to fix errors that might disqualify a mail-in ballot. Previously, if your local election board rejected your absentee ballot because of a technical defect, such as an apparent stray mark, you had to return a corrected form a day before Election Day. Citing slowdowns and problems with postal deliveries, supporters say the new law means corrected forms can be received up to seven days after Election Day. 

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy