“No Excuse” Absentee Voting

A very easy way to increase voter turn out in New York State, and especially in Rockland County, is to enact “no excuse” absentee voting. Currently, “no excuse” absentee voting is not allowed in 21 states, including New York. In such states, excuses like having to work and a lack of a babysitter or transportation to the polls are not considered legitimate excuses. A majority of other states offer voters the option of voting by mail for any reason, and the State of Oregon holds its entire election completely by mail.
As a young professional, I know all too well how many in our community, especially people right out of college, live in Rockland and commute out of the county every day. Battling the traffic on the Tappan Zee Bridge and traversing 287 should be reason alone to be able to vote absentee. Many commuters would benefit from “no excuse” absentee voting.
The men and women that work hard at the Board of Elections have a great deal of responsibility in protecting the integrity of our elections. By eliminating this requirement of excuses, the Board of Elections can spend more time on making sure that the people applying for an absentee ballot are actually registered and are who they claim to be, instead of deciding whether or not their excuses for an absentee ballot fall under the requirements of New York State election law.
Our community can benefit greatly by allowing all of our residents the opportunity to vote absentee, no matter what their reason may be.