Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Babylon) announced that she helped pass several measures to make voting more accessible, modernize New York’s registration process and limit the influence of special interests in political campaigns.

“Voting is a fundamental right of each and every American,” Jean-Pierre said. “These far-reaching measures ensure every hardworking, busy New Yorker can exercise their right to vote while pushing wealthy special interests to the sidelines so our government is truly held accountable to the people.”

The legislative package Jean-Pierre helped pass includes several bills to make the voting and registration process easier for New Yorkers. This includes early voting, which would take place during the nine-day period before any general, primary or special election to give New Yorkers plenty of time to make their voices heard (A.780). Jean-Pierre also help pass as a bill allowing any citizen to receive an absentee ballot without question and legislation to combine the state and federal primary election dates (A.778, A.779). Combining the primary dates would save taxpayers money and help increase turnout, noted Jean-Pierre. To make the registration process simpler, Jean-Pierre also supported measures to establish same-day voter registration, automatically transfer voter enrollment for New Yorkers who move from one county to another and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote (A.777, A.775, A.774).

Further, the package closes the limited liability company (LLC) loophole to prevent individuals and corporations from making unlimited contributions to the same candidate, political party or campaign committee by creating new LLCs for each contribution (A.776). The Assembly measure would extend the $5,000 aggregate contribution limit to include LLCs, and require LLCs to disclose the names of individuals with membership interests so that contributions can be attributed to them.

Jean-Pierre has long been an advocate of voting reform and has supported early voting and no excuse absentee voting every time they have come to a vote on the floor since she took office in 2015. This is the Assembly’s first major legislation to be passed in 2019 and will help put the power back into the hands of the people, noted Jean-Pierre.