July 28, 2016

Hon. John Flanagan

Majority Leader
New York State Senate
Room 330, State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12247
Hon. Jeff Klein
Independent Democratic Conference Leader
New York State Senate
Legislative Office Building 913
Albany, NY 12247
Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Leader, Senate Democratic Conference
New York State Senate
Legislative Office Building 907
Albany, NY 12247
Re: No Excuse Voting
S.4456B/A.3874B

Dear Senate Majority Leader Flanagan, Senator Klein, and Senator Stewart-Cousins,
We write to you today to request that our bill, S.4456B/A.3874B, be considered by the New
York Senate prior to December 31, 2016. The bill proposes a Constitutional Amendment that
would enable citizens to vote regularly by mail beyond just the absentee ballot process.
Right now the State Constitution requires a voter to provide a reason why they cannot appear at
the polls in person to vote. That is why one must fill out an absentee ballot application that gives
cause for not coming to vote on Election Day - illness, out of town, or for permanent disability
status. But 25 states across the country now allow their citizens to vote by mail generally - in
some cases the voters get a sample ballot several weeks before the election that they can mail, or
they could go to the polls on or near Election Day. Voter participation in the election process in
many of these states vastly exceeds the turnout percentages in New York.
This bill proposes submitting a question to the voters to remove cause from the requirements
for an absentee ballot, thus enabling the Legislature to provide for a general system of voting by
mail. A.3874B passed the Assembly overwhelmingly on June 17, 2016. The Senate must also
pass this bill. A proposed Constitutional amendment must be voted on by two successively

elected houses of the Legislature for it to be submitted to the people. The Senate would have to
pass this bill this year, and then the Assembly and Senate would both have to pass it again next
year, for the proposal to be submitted to the Voters in November 2017. If the Senate did not do
this, the earliest it could be submitted to the voters would be 2019.
Therefore, we urge the State Senate to pass Senator Leroy Comries legislation, S.4456B, by
December 31, 2016.
Sincerely,

Assemblymember Jim Brennan

cc:
Senator Ashkar
Chair, Senate Elections Committee
New York State Senate
Legislative Office Building 805
Albany, NY 12247

Senator Leroy Comrie