Assemblymember Phil Steck (D-Colonie) announced he is working to pass a legislative package of bills that will expand access to voting so that more New Yorkers have the ability to exercise their civic duty and vote.

“Voting – everyone’s constitutional right – must be protected to ensure our government continues to function as it was designed to do,” said Assemblymember Steck. “Far too often, we’ve seen other states make voting more difficult. To bring an end to voter disenfranchisement, we must continue to search for better ways to ensure the public continues to have a say in our government.”

Assemblymember Steck co-sponsored one notable piece of legislation in this package which will ensure that New Yorkers who are seventeen years old can participate in a presidential primary if they will be eighteen by the time of the general election in November (A.3549).

“Young people have as much, if not more, at stake in elections as anyone else, and they deserve the opportunity to have their voices heard and their votes counted,” added Steck

In addition, Assemblymember Steck also supported a number of other pieces of legislation that will increase voter participation, including a measure to expand early voting so that busy schedules don’t prevent New Yorkers from participating in the electoral process (A.2064), as well as legislation to ensure that polling places are adequately staffed (A.6907-A).

Assemblymember Steck also highlighted his support for other important pieces of legislation, including a measure to combine state and federal primary dates, ensuring voters do not have to go to the polls twice (A.3052). Not only will this bring New York State into compliance with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, it will also save $25 million in taxpayer dollars that would have been otherwise spent on carrying out two election days.

Assemblymember Steck also supported the Voter Enfranchisement Modernization Act of 2017, which allows for online voter registration (A.5382), an act to ensure state and local agencies which collect information from New Yorkers utilizing their services to include voter registration on their applications (A.6238), a measure to automatically re-register voters who move to a new county (A.3411) and an act that would guarantee that any New Yorker who requests an absentee ballot is entitled to receive one (A.7623).

“Whether it’s their busy work schedules, taking care of children, or other obligations, many New Yorkers don’t feel they have the chance to get to the polls,” added Steck. “I’m proud to support this series of bills, because the right to vote is truly sacred to our democracy, and everyone deserves the chance to be included in the political process.”