Nee York Voter Registration Portability: Transfers Across County Lines (A775 ) / (S1099)

Universal Transfer of Registration: When New Yorkers move to a Different County, their Voter Registration does Not move with them. This Requires the Voter to Re-Register with Their New Local Board of Elections as if they were Registering for this First time. This Bill will ensure that when a Voter moves elsewhere in the State, their Voter Registration will Seamlessly go with them.

This would Require the Board of Elections to keep New Yorkers on the Voter Rolls when they Move In-State by Transferring the Existing Voter Roll Registration to the Voter’s New County or the New York City Board of Elections and Remove it from their Prior Location Board of Elections Voter Roll.

Currently, a New York Voter Living in One Locality, County, or New York City, who Moves within the State to a New Locality becomes Ineligible to Vote unless they Proactively Update their Registration and Re-Register in the Locality of their New Residence. This leads to Confusion, Incentivizes Unscrupulous Behavior, and Infringes Rights by Disenfranchising Thousands of otherwise Eligible New Yorkers each Election.

Registration Portability is a Key aspect of Registration Modernization:

- Once an Eligible Resident is on New York’s Voter Rolls, they should remain Registered as long as they continue to be Eligible to Vote and Reside in New York, this Basic Data Cooperation could Conserve Resources. Nationwide, 17 States and Washington D.C. Allow for Same-Day Registration, which Resolves this Issue as Voters may Update their Registration at the Polls), and another Four States have a Portable Registration Safeguard that Preserves Votes even where a Voter doesn't Update their Record ahead of Election Day.

- The 2018 Elections saw Two More States Enact Same-Day Registration.

- The Present need to Re-Register with each Move widens the Voter Participation Gap among Demographic Groups who are Predisposed to Move more often and who already vote Less often, e.g. Young People, Communities of Color, Lower-Income Americans, and Students.

- New York Election Law already Counts the Ballot of a Resident who Moves within their County or the City, without Requiring them to Re-Register. This Fix would Reduce an Unexpected Roadblock to Voter Participation by Eliminating a Superfluous but Harsh Procedural Formality. In doing so, Voter Registration Portability Streamlines Registration Paperwork, Protects Civil Rights, and better Meets the Modern Expectations of busy New Yorkers.

But during the last New York Board of Elections Meeting, Implementation Problems arose to handle this change in 2019.

First, the Seamless Transfer Process has to be Developed, but the Board was Notified the 2019 Budget will have a $3 Million Shortfall. This will affect Current Development Changes from Prior Law Changes, so a New Priority of Projects needs to be Developed.

Another Problem arose on how the system will prevent Multiple voting at the Two Poll Sites. There was a long discussion on the need to develop the New Electronic Poll Books to Prevent
this Problem.

I am worried with the Shortfall, the Board may have to Furlough Current Staff.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker