If Democratic lawmakers in New York State have their way, the Empire State would become the 26th in America to place drop boxes across counties where people can drop their ballot in.
A proposed law would also allow county Board of Elections to establish temporary and “portable” polling stations where people can vote leading up to and on Election Day.
Both would be set up for early voting across New York. The proposed legislation is now before the New York State Assembly and would need to be signed by Governor Hochul to become law.
Republicans blasted the proposal, especially the establishment of “secure receptacles” where people can place their ballots.
“This bill will cause many New Yorkers to question how our elections are administered,” said former New York State Board of Elections attorney Joseph T. Burns.
As for these proposed portable polling stations, lawmakers did not offer specifics on exactly what they entail, what they would look like, and how they would collect ballots. The Rochester-based State Senate sponsor of the bill, Democrat Rachel May, did not say whether or not it could be housed in a van, car, community center, or school.
Keep in mind, voters can drop off absentee ballots before or on Election day at the Suffolk County Board of Elections or their respective polling places.
“Allowing absentee ballots to be returned to unsecured and untested drop boxes adds uncertainty and unnecessary risk to our election system. Voters who are concerned about this proposal should contact their State Assemblymember and urge them to vote against this bill,” added Burns.
The proposed ballot bill forces the New York State Board of Elections to create the ballot boxes, and establish rules and regulations of how they are secured and picked up.
There are no specifics in the bill on where the boxes will go, what the chain of custody is to secure and safeguard ballots, when they are picked up, or how they are labeled.
Legislatures in states like Iowa are going in the opposite direction of New York when it comes to ballot drop boxes.
Hawkeye State legislators introduced a bill to ban them in Iowa. That proposal comes on the heels of the wife of an Iowa County Supervisor who was convicted of more than 50 federal counts of voter fraud. She was accused of a scheme to stuff a ballot box when her public official husband ran for Congress.
Right now 12 states across the country ban ballot drop boxes due to fears of election fraud, tampering, and ease of ballot stuffing.