Assemblymember Thiele: Assembly Budget Funds Early Voting, Closes the LLC Loophole to Increase Transparency
Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE – Sag Harbor) announced that he helped pass the Assembly’s 2018-19 budget proposal, which authorizes and funds early voting in New York State, allowing East End residents more time to make it to the polls. The plan also closes the limited liability corporation (LLC) loophole to increase transparency in the funding of election campaigns (E.912). The Assembly has long been supportive of reforms that not only increase access to voting, but also make meaningful changes to the way campaigns are financed.
Funding early voting
The Assembly proposal includes $7 million to institute early voting and other voting reforms statewide, which would help to offset some of the costs to counties from conducting elections. Early voting would take place during a seven-day period before any general, primary or special election. During the early voting period, designated polling locations would be required to be open for eight hours on weekdays and five hours on weekends and holidays, and to offer evening hours on at least two days. County boards of elections would have the option of providing additional early voting hours and would be required to publicize to voters the location, dates and hours of all early voting polling places within each county.
“Elections are the cornerstone of a healthy democracy, but only if all of our voices are heard,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “Early voting will help busy New Yorkers who can’t make it to the polls during traditional hours exercise their right to vote. This measure will help increase voter turnout and ensure government is truly representative of the people.”
Assemblyman Thiele noted that New York is one of only 13 states without early voting.1
Closing the LLC loophole
For far too long, the LLC loophole has enabled individuals and corporations to circumvent campaign finance laws and make unlimited contributions to the same candidate, political party or campaign committee under the guise of different LLCs. Each LLC is treated as an individual donor, even if multiple LLCs are owned by the same person or entity, which makes it harder to determine the real contributor. This issue was compounded by McCutcheon v. FEC, a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court decision that eliminated aggregate contribution limits on individual donations.
“In the past decade, we’ve seen the amount of money wealthy special interests pour into our elections reach truly absurd and troubling levels,” said Assemblyman Thiele. “We must make it clear that government represents the will of the people, not the interests of a handful of plutocrats. By closing the LLC loophole, we can increase transparency, help level the playing field and prevent the wealthy few from making nearly unlimited campaign contributions to further their special interests.”
The Assembly’s measure extends the $5,000 aggregate contribution limit, already applicable to corporations, to include LLCs, and requires LLCs to disclose the names of individuals with membership interests, attributing LLC contributions to them and helping get rid of dark money in our elections.
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