ALBANY, NY – Today, the New York State Assembly passed a bill that would make New York the 17th state to adopt automatic voter registration (AVR), along with the District of Columbia. This policy, first developed by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, would change the way New York residents register to vote by allowing eligible citizens to be automatically registered at state agencies when they apply for many types of services, including drivers’ licenses, Medicaid, unemployment, and public housing. When the bill goes into effect, New York could see a big expansion of its electorate.
Sean Morales-Doyle, Deputy Director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law said: “We should be making it as easy as possible for eligible citizens to vote, and that starts with upgrading our outdated and onerous registration systems. At a time when some states are trying to make it harder for people to vote, it’s great to see New York moving closer to a reform that has dramatically increased registration every place it has been implemented.”
More information about Automatic Voter Registration is here.