One Of Three Election Day Ballot Questions
When they head to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 4, New Yorkers will be asked to answer “yes” or “no” on three ballot questions tackling legislative redistricting, school funding and electronic bill distribution.
In New York City, the questions are located on the back side of each standard optical scan ballot. Voters make their choice by filling in the circle according to their answer.
The first two referendums focus on proposed state constitutional amendments that, pursuant to the ratification process, the Assembly and State Senate both approved in the last two consecutive sessions.
Ballot Question 1 asks voters to approve or reject the formation of a redistricting commission to create new state and federal legislative boundaries every 10 years, beginning following the 2020 U.S. Census.
The amendment came through a 2012 deal reached between Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos as part of that year’s redistricting process.
Presently, redistricting of Assembly, State Senate and Congressional seats is handled by the Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR), which seats six individuals. Two of the six are legislators selected by theAssembly and State Senate majority leaders.
LATFOR came under fire in 2012 and in previous redistricting cycles for presenting maps with heavily gerrymandered districts designed to either ensure incumbency for some politicians or pit two sitting incumbent lawmakers against each other.
While state lawmakers agreed to an amended LATFOR map for state legislative districts, a federal judge intervened on Congressional redistricting and established its own reapportionment map for New York State.
If approved, the first redistricting commission would be formed prior to the 2022 state election. Ten members, in all, would sit on the body; the State Senate president pro tempore, Assembly speaker, State Senate minority leader and Assembly minority leader would have two appointees each. Those eight appointees would then confer and select the last two commissioners.
Legislators and other elected officials would be prohibited from serving on the commission. Additionally, the panel would receive state funding for a bipartisan staff.
The commission would also be required to hold 12 public hearings across the Empire State to gather input as they consider new Assembly, State Senate and Congressional district boundaries. Once finalized, the commission’s map would be presented to the state legislature for its approval.
Should the legislature reject the map twice, according to the ballot question, the commission would then be required to amend it “as necessary.”
Ballot Question 2 asks voters whether to allow the state legislature to transmit bills electronically to lawmakers rather than in standard paper form.
The referendum would change a constitutional law established in 1938 which requires that paper copies of legislation be placed on lawmakers’ desks no less than three days prior to a scheduled vote. Constitutional experts state the wording of the law technically prohibits any electronic transmission of legislation to devices such as laptop computers or tablets.
If approved, the legislature would send proposed bills to lawmakers’ digital devices for their review according to the same timeframe as the 1938 law. The legislators must be able to print the bill upon receipt and record any changes should they choose to amend or strike any language presented therein.
Finally, Ballot Question 3 asks voters whether to authorize the state comptroller to issue and sell up to $2 billion in state bonds to finance educational upgrades throughout New York State schools.
If approved, the bond sale would provide the state with cash for technological upgrades at public schools such as the installation of high-speed broadband and wireless Internet and the purchase of devices such as computer servers, laptop computers and tablets.
The bond issue would also fund construction of new and expanded schools to accommodate new prekindergarten classes and phase out the use of temporary classroom trailers.
Polls will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. All statewide office and legislative seats, and all of New York’s 27 seats in the House of Representatives, are on the ballot.
For information on voting, visit www.vote.nyc.ny.us or call 1-212-VOTE-NYC.
