Issues: Voter Registration

Gianaris-Kavanagh's Bill (Voter Empowerment Act) aims at facilitating the registration process and initiating more participation in the elections. It includes, among others, preregistration of 16- and 17- year olds, online registration of voters and  automatic registration tranfer of New Yorkers who move within the State.

State Senator Michael Gianaris (D–Astoria) emerged last week as part of a nonpartisan, statewide group answering Governor Andrew Cuomo’s call to increase voter participation as the 2012 election season draws near.

Gianaris and Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh have introduced legislation that would amend the state’s election law to streamline and make more efficient the voter registration process in the state.

An article by the Queens Gazette talks about the introduction of the Voter Empowerment Act, which aims to optimize the voter registration process in New York.

State Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law joined with good government and advocacy groups on June 7 to announce the introduction of the Voter Empowerment Act of New York, a nonpartisan initiative to increase voter participation as the 2012 election season commences. This legislation would amend the election law to update, streamline and make more efficient the voter registration process in New York.

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New America Media did a Question & Answer with Senator Gianaris in advance of his press conference announcing the Voter Empowerment Act of New York.

NAM: What is your national overview of the increasingly heated debate over voter suppression and voting rights at this point in America’s history?

According to a report by New America Media, new legislation that would modernize New York state's voter registration system could add one million voters to the rolls. Senator Gianaris is the co-sponsor of the legislation.

An estimated one million potential voters could be added to New York state’s rolls should forthcoming legislation be enacted, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. State Sen. Michael Gianaris, the co-sponsor of legislation that would modernize New York’s voter registration system, said his bill “will make it easier for people to vote.” He said he plans to introduce the bill by early June at the latest and, if adopted, it would take effect in 2013.

An editorial by the New York Daily News reports on the proposal by New York City's Deptartment of Education to overhaul struggling schools. Under the plan, schools face options that range from having to replace 50% of their staff to having to shut down completely.

The future of eight large Queens high schools — and the hundreds of educators who work there — are in jeopardy as the city plans to overhaul the struggling institutions.

The schools could lose up to half of their staff and receive a new principal and name this fall after the city and teachers union failed to reach an agreement on teacher evaluations.

The move could help the city get up to $60 million in federal funds.