There are 11 open seats in the New York State Assembly and Senate, which means more than one million citizens lack representation - many in under-served communities that desperately need a strong voice. I believe it is important that special elections be conducted in order to fill the vacancies in the State Legislature, as I have previously stated. State law mandates that a special election cannot be held until 70 days at the earliest after one is called. However, it is important to note that members of the Assembly and Senate work hard throughout the year serving their constituents both in their communities and in Albany during session. We have many important issues to consider and a strong democracy demands that New York conduct special elections as soon as possible in order to fill these seats.