Voting Rights Advocates, are Pushing for the New York State Assembly, to Approve a Bill that would ensure Voters who Cast Affidavit Ballots, at a Wrong Polling Place, don’t have their Votes Invalidated. Affidavit Ballots, also known as Provisional Ballots, when someone believes to be Eligible to Vote, but in the Wrong Polling Place or Not in the Registered Database.
Under Current State Law, if a Voter Casts an Affidavit Ballot, at a Polling Place that they haven’t been Assigned to, the Entire Ballot is Thrown Out, even when, as is often the case, a Poll Worker has instructed them to Submit the Ballot Then and There.
Nearly 14,000 Ballots, in New York State, were Voided over, so-called “wrong church” Ballot Cases, during the 2020 General Election, a Study Conducted by VoteEarlyNY found. “We’re saying count the votes,” said Jarret Berg, Voting Rights Counsel for VoteEarlyNY. “It shouldn’t be controversial.”
To change Current State Law on the matter, State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-20th District), Sponsored a Bill in May, that Won Senate Passage, and would allow Ballots to be Counted even if they were Cast at the Wrong Polling Place. In such Cases, only part of the Ballot might be Invalidated, depending on whether the Votes Cast applied to a Race Outside the District the Voter lives in.
But the Bill has remained Stalled, in the Assembly, prompting People like Berg to Renew their Calls for its Passage. “The fix,” he said, “is pretty simple.”
Assemblyman Robert Carroll (D-44th District), is leading the Charge in the Legislature’s Lower House, to get the Bill passed. He said One of the Arguments that Opponents of the Measure have floated, is that it’s too Logistically Challenging, but he noted that Performing any Additional Work far Outweighs the Alternative, which amounts to Disenfranchising Voters.
“The logistics argument is very weak,” he said. “This is patent disenfranchisement, and it’s something I feel really deeply about. I’m really hopeful we can pass this in the Assembly.”
Carroll said he plans to Renew his Efforts to pass the Bill, once the Next Legislative Session starts, Jan. 5th, 2022.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
