Dinowitz bill to extend absentee voting
Legislation would allow people to utilize absentee voting through 2021
BY JASON COHEN
In an effort to address voting
problems that arose in
the June 23 primary election,
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz
has passed legislation
that would expand the ability
to vote by mail in upcoming
elections.
The legislation has been
passed by the Assembly and
State Senate and now awaits
the governor’s signature.
The bill would temporarily
alter the defi nition of
illness with respect to absentee
voting eligibility to include
“risk of contracting or
spreading a disease that may
cause illness to the voter or
to other members of the public.”
The expansion of this
defi nition would expire Jan.
1, 2022, which coincides with
the soonest a constitutional
amendment to allow no-excuse
absentee voting in New
York State could take effect.
“The single most important
element of our democracy
is that voters have confi
dence in the results of our
elections,” Dinowitz said.
“Without expanded absentee
voting eligibility for upcoming
elections, New Yorkers
will be forced to choose between
their health and their
vote and that is unacceptable.”
He added, “The continued
rise in COVID-19 cases
around the United States
does not inspire confi dence
that we will be in a position to
conduct robust in-person elections
for a long time, and this
legislation bridges the gap between
now and when voters
will have the opportunity to
authorize no-excuse absentee
voting for 2022. Thank you to
my colleagues in the legislature
and the advocates who
supported this legislation,
and I urge the State Senate to
deliver this bill to the governor
for his signature as soon
as possible.”
The constitutional amendment
to authorize no-excuse
absentee voting was passed
in 2019 and must pass again
in the next legislature, in
January 2021. If approved, the
amendment must be ratifi ed
by statewide popular vote.
This could happen as soon as
November 2021 and, if ratifi
ed, the constitution would
be amended on the fi rst day of
January next after such approval.
Bronx offi cials call for more sanitation services
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,22 JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2020 BTR
The effect of this legislation
would be that all eligible
voters can request an absentee
ballot if they are worried
about spreading COVID-19,
similar to what was in effect
for the June 23 primary election.
This would affect the
Nov. 3 general election as well
as all elections in New York
in 2021.
The other absentee voting
reform bills passed by the Assembly
include legislation to
address counting absentee
ballots without a postmark if
they are received by the day
after an election and allow
voters to correct a signature
error on an absentee ballot as
well as require notifi cation
by the Board of Elections to
a voter that their ballot has
been invalidated.
AARP New York State Director
Beth Finkel praised
Dinowitz passes a bill to extend absentee voting through 2021 Courtesy
of AM Dinowitz
Dinowitz for legislation that
will greatly impact seniors in
New York.
“Older voters in our state
should not have to risk their
lives or their health to exercise
their right to vote,”
Finkel said. “With the pandemic
still upon us, all registered
voters should be able
to cast their ballots safely
from home if they choose in
the November general election.
AARP New York thanks
Senator Biaggi and Assemblyman
Dinowitz for protecting
New Yorkers’ safety with
their legislation and we call
on Governor Cuomo to sign it
into law.”
BY JASON COHEN
As the 2021 NYC budget
axed $106 million from sanitation,
many are wondering
how the poorest borough will
stay clean.
On July 25, the Bronx Delegation
and delegation chair
Councilman Andrew Cohen
sent a letter to Mayor Bill de
Blasio urging the administration
to address the lack of
core sanitation services in
the borough. The pols urged
the mayor to provide additional
sanitation resources
and services to address overfl
owing litter baskets and
trash-fi lled streets, severely
insuffi cient trash pickups
and cleaning throughout the
borough.
Amid an ongoing budget
crisis impacting funding
across city agencies, the Sanitation
Department has decreased
corner litter basket
pickups from seven days to
three days a week, reducing
weekday pickups and eliminating
Sunday pickups. Street
cleaning has been temporarily
reduced to once a week on
each side of the street.
“We ask that you consider
reinstating alternate side
parking as soon as possible,”
the letter stated. “ In dense
neighborhoods throughout
the Bronx, the lack of street
cleaning has left the streets
inundated with fi lth and infestations.
While we know
and understand the budget
challenges of the current
fi scal crisis, sanitation and
clean streets are major public
health, environmental
and quality-of-life priorities.
The impact of diminished
sanitation services will particularly
hurt residents of the
Bronx.”
The delegation expressed
concern that diminished sanitation
services will disproportionately
impact residents of
the Bronx, comprising some
of the city’s poorest and most
COVID-19 impacted neighborhoods,
which saw a sharp increase
in residential garbage
volume during citywide stayat
home orders.
“I’m thankful for the work
that our dedicated sanitation
employees and Commissioner
Garcia have done throughout
the pandemic,” Cohen said.
“To continue their vital work
and ensure the system works
as effi ciently as possible, they
need continued support and resources
from the city. While we
know and understand the budget
challenges of the current fi scal
crisis, sanitation and clean
streets are major public health,
environmental, and quality-oflife
priorities and the impact
of diminished sanitation services
will particularly hurt
residents of the Bronx. As the
borough with the highest rate
of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations,
and deaths, it is now
more important than ever that
our streets remain clean.”
Councilman Andrew Cohen is among the Bronx council delegation that called on the De Blasio administration
to increase sanitation services. Courtesy of Offi ce of CM Cohen