Today, at Korean Community Services (KCS), Senator John Liu, Assemblymembers Nily Rozic and Edward C. Braunstein, Congresswoman Grace Meng and Council Member Paul Vallone commended the Board of Elections for their swift action in response to a letter, sent last week by concerned Queens officials, urging the BOE to add early voting sites in northeast Queens.

This past January, the very first laws the NYS Legislature passed were voting reforms, including early voting, in an effort to strengthen the democratic process statewide and increase historically abysmal voter turnout. At the end of April, the BOE released a map of its 38 proposed early voting sites, the map did not reflect a single early polling site in northeast Queens, sparking outrage in lawmakers and prompting the letter to the BOE. This week, KCS in Bayside and the Cross Island YMCA in Bellerose were added to the BOE’s designated early polling sites.

"The BOE's decision to add early voting sites at Korean Community Services in Bayside and the Cross Island YMCA in Bellerose is great news for voters in Northeast Queens.,” Said Assemblyman Edward Braunstein. “I want to thank the BOE and my colleagues for working together to reach this solution."

“Passing voting reforms in the State Legislature earlier this year was intended to modernize our system and eliminate some of the challenges that voters have come to experience far too frequently on Election Day,” Said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic. “After making it clear that overlooking Northeast Queens was a step backward in meeting these goals, I am pleased that the BOE has considered our request and identified Korean Community Services in Bayside as an early voting poll site.”

“It was perplexing and untenable to find out earlier this month that there were no places to cast early ballots in northern Queens, east of Flushing Meadows Park,” Said Senator John Liu. “The point of voting reforms, including early voting, is to make the democratic process for all citizens easier, and to bolster the public's trust and confidence in elections. We appreciate the Board of Elections listening and working with us to accommodate our constituents accordingly.”

“The decision to add an early voting location in Northeast Queens is a great victory for our constituents,” Said Congresswoman Grace Meng. “It will make early voting easy and convenient for local residents, and help to increase voter turnout in the area. We commend the Board of Election’s efforts and hope that the agency will add even more early voting sites in Northeast Queens. I thank Senator Liu, Assemblywoman Rozic, and Assemblyman Braunstein for their commitment and leadership on this critical issue.”

“We applaud the decision to add Korean Community Services in Bayside as an early voting site," Said Councilmember Paul Vallone. "Early voting reforms were intended to make it easier for New Yorkers to participate in our democracy and increase voters' political efficacy. Doubling the amount of sites in Queens is a step in the right direction. I thank the Board of Elections for listening to the concerns of the Northeast Queens community and we look forward to seeing implemented an early voting program that works for all New Yorkers.”

“On behalf of KCS, we are thrilled that we were chosen as an early voting site in Northeast Queens,” Said Linda Lee, Executive Director Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (KCS) “It is important to ensure that voters in this area have access and are able to actively participate in civic engagement. We hope to continue partnering with government and local leaders to meet the needs of the Northeast Queens community.”