Governor Kathy Hochul signed several new laws she claims strengthen voting protections and improve voter accessibility. Notably absent from her legislation: laws to ensure election integrity and the requirement for photo IDs at polling stations.
Despite almost 80% of Americans supporting Photo ID requirements at the ballot box, Hochul did not include a provision for New Yorkers to prove who they are when they vote.
The support for Voter ID is broadly embraced across party lines as shown in a Gallop poll – 97% of Republicans and 84% of Independents support Voter ID, as do 53% of Democrats.
New York is one of just 14 states that neither requires nor requests ID of any kind at the polling station.
Other than driver’s licenses, we know that identification is required to purchase some over-the-counter drugs, apply for benefits, enroll in school, receive vaccines, and many other things.
Hochul is opposed to the most fundamental element in the American election tradition – One person, One vote. The fidelity of this system relies on being certain that you are the ‘one person’ voting under your name. Why would anyone oppose such a basic thing?
“We need to take the governor’s package a few steps further by requiring ID at the polls, mail-in ballots only if you have a legitimate reason for not being able to vote in person, and prohibiting non-citizens from voting,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C—Medford), who has sponsored bills in Albany to codify these measures.
Factions opposed to photo ID requirements make claims that requiring ID is an intentional impediment to voting for black, Hispanic, and other voter-eligible Americans who may live in poverty. But, statistics show that 91% of all American adults have a driver’s license in 2024. The argument that people of color or economically disadvantaged Americans can’t get photo ID is plainly false.
New York already made big changes to election rules in 2022 and 2023. New York moved the deadline for voter registration from 25 days ahead of an election to the constitutionally allowed minimum of just 10 days ahead of an election. And, in 2023, New York established a statewide system for early voting by mail.
Voter ID of some kind is an accepted and even mandatory practice for voting in many other states. Twenty percent of voters (11 states) live in states where photo ID is required to vote, 4% (4 states) live where non-photo ID is required, 30% (14 states) live where photo ID is requested but not mandated, 9% (7 states) were non-photo ID is requested but not mandated, and 37% (14 states) where no ID of any kind is required or requested.
“Our democracy is rooted in the sacrifices of those willing to fight for that idea greater than any one of us, and with this legislation, we are strengthening our efforts to protect it,” Hochul said. “Every New Yorker deserves the opportunity to have their voice heard, and these laws bring the ideals of self-governance closer to reality.”
The seven new laws Hochul signed will allow voters who will be 18 by Election Day to apply for absentee and early ballots, speed up the process of curing ballot defects, standardize candidate ordering on ballots, bring the state into compliance with the federal Electoral Count Reform Act, allow most state attorneys to serve as poll watchers, make some technical changes to town elections, and clarify certain parts of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York.