Brooklyn Democratic Sen. Zellnor Y. Myrie will on Thursday, May 30 lead a public hearing on automatic voter registration in Albany.
New York State Senate Majority announced on Monday that Myrie, who represents the 20th Senatorial District in Brooklyn and chair of the Elections Committee, will lead this hearing “to ensure that a broad range of stakeholders has the opportunity to provide input on the creation of an automatic voter registration system.”
“Voting is the right that protects all other rights, yet New York is consistently ranked among the worst in the country in voter turnout,” said Myrie, the son of Costa Rican immigrants, whose grandmother hails from Jamaica. “At a time when voting rights are under assault at the federal level and across the country, it is more important than ever to expand and protect our democracy in New York.
“Automatic voter registration is a straightforward and evidenced-backed policy that would remove barriers between voters and the ballot box and make it easier for people to make their voices heard,” added the newly-elected senator.
He said the hearing on automatic voter registration (AVR) is only the latest in his efforts to expand voting rights in New York State.
On the first day of the legislative session, Myrie sponsored S1102, a bill to allow early voting, which was later signed into law by the Gov. Andrew Cuomo and then funded in the Enacted State Budget.
In February, Myrie sponsored legislation to allow electronic poll books and helped to negotiate funding for the measure in the budget.
A month later, he led a hearing on public financing of elections.
The hearing on AVR will be in, at 1 pm, in the Legislative Office Building Hearing Room A, 2nd floor.
Oral testimony is by invitation only. To RSVP for the hearing or to submit written testimony, please email Edline Jacquet, Myrie’s chief of staff, at jacqu