State Legislature OKs more measures to make voting easier; GOP warns of fraud danger

ALBANY — The State Legislature on Wednesday passed measures to make early voting and mail-in balloting easier, including an online system so voters can make sure their ballots have been received and counted.

Also approved in the closing week of the 2021 legislative session was the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act. The $100 million program is designed to convert vacant hotel and commercial space into affordable housing.

The bills now go to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for his signature into law or his veto.

The legislature’s biggest package of bills approved Wednesday was aimed at further expanding mail-in voting and early voting.

Last year, Cuomo broadened the use of mail-in voting under executive orders in an effort to cut down on crowds at polling places during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although mail-in voting was highly popular with New Yorkers in last year’s school district, primary and general elections, the results in some close races took weeks to tabulate because of the need to wait for all mailed ballots to be received and counted.

On Wednesday, the legislature gave final approval to bills that would allow faster counting of mailed ballots.

Under state election law, boards of election have had to wait more than a week before starting to count absentee ballots to make sure ballots cast by Election Day were received in the mail.

Another bill would allow the use of newer technology for voters to apply online for absentee ballots.

Other new technology would allow voters to track their ballots to make sure they were received and counted. That was a major concern of many voters last year.

Another bill requires voting machines to meet new, higher standards for accuracy.

"These bills will dramatically reduce the long early voting lines we experienced last year and ensure we won’t have to wait weeks on end to discover who wins an election," said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, a Queens Democrat.

The measures come as Republican legislatures and governors in some other states are passing laws that limit mailed voting and early voting and bolster identification requirements that the officials say are needed to prevent voter fraud.

The GOP effort is focused on the 2020 election that Republican President Donald Trump lost to Democratic President Joe Biden.

Trump continues to assert that fraud cost him the election.

After numerous recounts and court examinations, no widespread fraud was proved.

"My concern is we are making it easier and easier for criminals to engage in election fraud," said Sen. George Borrello, a Western New York Republican.

"People of New York and people of the United States of America up until recently felt their vote counted," Borrello said. " … Now, we are continuing to lower the bar of that level of confidence."

Borrello cited a conservative think tank that found "thousands" of cases of voter fraud nationwide.

But Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn), who sponsored several voting bills, cited other statistics that showed fraud is found only in a fraction of races.

"It’s clear their concerns are about safeguarding their own political power," said Sen. Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan), who co-sponsored some of the mail voting bills. "The bill before us today actually walks the walk by contributing in a positive way to the security of our elections.

"We need to protect the bedrock of our republic — our right to vote," Jackson said.

Also Wednesday, the legislature agreed to legislation to help nonprofit organizations convert distressed and vacant hotels and commercial buildings statewide into affordable housing.

The housing is intended for low-income residents and the recently homeless.

"New York has seen a decadeslong affordable housing crunch exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic devastation," Gianaris said Wednesday. "This legislation is a good way to tackle the dual problems of distressed properties and lack of affordable housing."

Sen. Alexis Weik (R-Islip) expressed concern that local communities wouldn’t have enough input before low-income housing was placed in local neighborhoods.

Gianaris said the projects would have to meet existing zoning laws for multiple family residences.

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.