Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill that allows any New Yorker to vote by absentee ballot through the end of 2022.
The bill allows anyone who’s not comfortable going to a polling place in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic to request an absentee ballot. “No one should have to choose between exercising their right to vote and protecting their health and safety,” Gov. Hochul said in a statement. “This legislation will ensure the pandemic does not create inaccessibility for voters during upcoming elections and help protect New Yorkers’ access to the ballot.”
The bill continues a policy first put in place in July, 2020.
In her State of the State address, the Governor said she wants to reduce the deadline for registering to vote from 25 days before an election to ten.
