November Ballot Proposals  by Tom Reynolds

On November 2, 2021, New York voters will vote on five proposed amendments to the New York State Constitution.  These five ballot measures may have a greater impact on the future of the Empire State than the candidates running for election.

Be sure to flip your ballot over and vote on them.

Proposal One:

In 2014, we (the voters) passed a constitutional amendment that substantially changed the redistricting process, which happens after every 10-year census.  Now, before that process has even been used, the Legislature is pushing to change it.

Proposal One would:

• repeal the requirement that the two co-executive directors of the redistricting commission be members of different parties;

• repeal the requirement that a commission redistricting plan be approved by commission members of both parties; and

• repeal the requirement that a redistricting plan be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, if the Senate and the Assembly are each controlled by the same political party.

This is exactly the opposite of the way a fair redistricting process should operate.  It seems clear that the purpose of this proposal is to cause the majority party to have unfettered control of the process. 

Do you believe Democrats would be for this if Republicans currently had control?

Proposal Two:

It would amend the New York State Constitution to provide that “each person shall have a right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.” Progressives are framing this issue as one of racial and environmental justice.   

Everyone wants clean air and water but this sounds like another club to beat us over the head with their radical “green” agenda. 

Would this give them another lever to ban lead ammunition?  Of course, it would.

Of course, this sounds really good but the devil is in the details.

Proposal Three

It would remove the NY constitutional requirement that a voter wishing to vote in an election be registered to vote at least 10 days prior to that election.

It would open the door to the passage of a same-day voter registration law, an open invitation to more voter fraud.  How would local election boards effectively check if the registration is valid?

Proposal Four:

This would allow no-excuse absentee balloting in New York. 

Currently, the New York State Constitution allows absentee balloting only if: a voter expects to be outside of his/her county of residence on Election Day; or a voter is unable to vote in person due to disability or illness.

Unlimited absentee balloting creates a climate in which voter fraud is very difficult to detect.

But if you don’t believe there is voter fraud in New York- and especially New York City – and you believe one party rule will refrain from fraud even though they have the levers of power to do it…

Proposal Five:

It would expand the jurisdiction of the New York City Civil Court from $25,000 to $50,000.