Legislature seeks funds to ease counties' cost of early voting law

ALBANY — A late effort is underway to include state funding to cover at least part of the cost of a new law authorizing voters to cast ballots up to nine days before Election Day, officials said Wednesday.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the Legislature in January celebrated enacting early voting as way to increase voter turnout. But they didn’t provide the funding counties said they need to staff the polls on more days or for the electronic equipment needed to protect the integrity of votes cast over several days.

Earlier this month, the Nassau County Legislature voted to borrow $3.7 million to cover its costs. Like most counties, Nassau’s 2019 budget was already set when Albany authorized early voting beginning in the fall elections.

Advocates for early voting, including Common Cause-NY, said Wednesday the state needs to provide $25 million to $30 million in the $175 billion budget to implement early voting and avoid having the full cost paid by local property taxpayers. The New York State Association of Counties estimates that cost for implementing the system at $7 million to $10 million, and electronic poll books will cost another $27 million to $30 million.

“The budget more than covers the cost of early voting by merging state and federal primaries to save counties $25 million," said Jason Conwall, Cuomo's spokesman.

“We are still working on campaign finance, on election reform,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins after a closed-door budget negotiation on Wednesday. “We are certainly looking to move all of those forward. We know important they are.”

The Assembly’s Democratic majority has proposed an additional $34 million to Cuomo’s budget plan and the Senate’s Democratic majority proposed an additional $10 million.

“There will be something,” said Susan Lerner of Common Cause. “The question is how much it will go above the governor’s budget … the counties need support.”

Complicating the issue is Cuomo’s proposed cut in funding for the state Board of Elections, Lerner said. Cuomo is holding the line on most agencies to address a deficit of more than $3 billion and declining tax revenues.

Assembly Election Law Committee Chairman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) supports the increase in funding, which he said counties like his need to carry out the new law.

“Our concept of voting is evolving,” he said Wednesday. “What we need is adequate funding for early voting.”

Under early voting, counties and New York City will have to open at least some polling places 10 days before every general and primary election beginning in November. The cost will include buying “electronic poll books” for voters to sign instead of paper books to assure the security of the vote and to keep voters from voting more than once.

There also are additional costs of staffing polls and administering the program.

“While we are concerned that the funding provided may be insufficient at this time, this is certainly a step in the right direction, and we will continue to work with state leaders as we implement these reforms,” said Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of NYSAC.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.