Guest Column: Leslie Danks Burke

“Make Mail-In Voting Permanent in New York State”

WATKINS GLEN, July 1, 2020 -- New Yorkers should be proud. With discipline and resilience, we persevered through three months of lockdown to haul the state back from skyrocketing COVID spread. We suffered, tremendously, losing over 20,000 lives, more than the entire population of Schuyler County. We are respecting those lives lost, and the emergency and health care responders who stepped up, by taking conservative care as we slowly reopen.

As restrictions began to be lifted, we held an election on June 23. For the first time in state history any voter could vote absentee, and a huge and unprecedented number of citizens participated in the responsibility of choosing who represents us.

This didn’t happen the last time we saw a pandemic. In the spring of 1918, a relatively mild flu strain hit military personnel on training bases scattered throughout the southern, eastern and mid-western United States. Most soldiers recovered easily, and then boarded ships to Europe, the virus traveling along with them.

By early fall 1918, the virus mutated into the deadly Spanish flu, attacking its victims with ruthless efficiency. This second wave sickened millions and killed 650,000 Americans, many of them young and healthy. Schools and businesses closed. Cities ordered mandatory wearing of masks and banned parades and other large social gatherings. On November 5, 1918, voters had to choose between their health and civic duty, and many citizens decided to sacrifice their vote. Fully one-tenth of the number voting in the previous two midterm elections of 1910 and 1914 stayed home in 1918.

But in the primary election that just happened on June 23, New York voters didn’t face this dilemma between health and their rights. In late March, Governor Cuomo delayed the primary from its original April 28th date. A month later, again by executive order, Boards of Elections were instructed to send out postage prepaid absentee ballot applications to every New York State voter. Any voter could cite Covid-19 as a legitimate reason to vote absentee. Voters responded overwhelmingly. Almost two million absentee ballots went out to Republican, Democratic, and third-party voters, tens of thousands of them in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes. Like many of you, I filled out my ballot at my kitchen table and dropped it in a mailbox.

It almost goes without saying that 2020 is one of the most important election cycles in recent memory. Voters are deciding who will lead on getting us out of recession that’s plagued our area for years and is looking worse. Who will step up on our schools that get shortchanged, healthcare access, and preventing the next pandemic. The stakes are high, and everyone's voice deserves to be heard.

Because of provisions in our state constitution, making voting by mail a permanent option in New York State will require a constitutional amendment. This is a laborious process that entails two positive votes in the legislature and a referendum. That process can’t happen before this November’s election. So, to make sure we, the people, keep this same level of voter access, we must lobby Governor Cuomo and all our public officials to make absentee ballot applications available to all voters again in mid-October.

I am deeply grateful to the hard-working people at our local Boards of Election for skillfully handling an unusual and challenging election in the face of a pandemic. Clearly, vote-by-mail is popular, safe, and practical, and it's time to make it a permanent fixture in our democratic process. No one should have to choose between their health and their right to vote like they had to 100 years ago. It just makes sense for voting to be as simple as possible. It's time to ensure every person's voice is heard.

Photo: Leslie Danks Burke

Top row (from left): Carl Blowers, Jim Howell, Michael Lausell, Van Harp

Bottom row: Gary Gray, David Reed, Phil Barnes, Mark Rondinaro

Legislature Chairman

Carl Blowers, 535-6174 or 237-5469

Legislature Members:

Gary Gray, 292-9922

Van Harp, 329-2160

Jim Howell, 535-7266 or 227-1141

David M. Reed, 796-9558

Michael Lausell, 227- 9226

Phil Barnes, Watkins Glen, 481-0482

Mark Rondinaro, 398-0648

County Clerk: Theresa Philbin, 535-8133

Sheriff: William Yessman, 535-8222

Undersheriff: Breck Spaulding, 535-8222

County Treasurer: Holley Sokolowski, 535-8181

District Attorney: Joseph Fazzary, 535-8383

State, Federal Officials for Schuyler County

Sen. Charles E. Schumer

United States Senate
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3201
DC Phone: 202-224-6542
DC Fax: 202-228-3027
Email Address: http://schumer.senate.gov/webform.html

Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand

United States Senate
478 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
DC Phone: 202-224-4451
Website: http://gillibrand.senate.gov/

State Senator Tom O'Mara -- Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Yates, western Tompkins, Enfield, Ithaca (Town and City), Newfield, Ulysses(Trumansburg)

Room 812, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2091
Fax: (518) 426-6976
www.omara.nysenate.gov

Assemblyman Phil Palmesano-- Steuben, Schuyler, Yates
Room 723, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12248
Phone: (518) 455-5791
Website: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Phillip-A-Palmesano