Republican groups sue New York, governor over absentee voting

Several Republican groups are suing the state of New York and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) after she signed a measure expanding access to absentee voting. 

“Kathy Hochul and extreme New York Democrats are trying to destroy what is left of election integrity in New York,” House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) said in a statement Wednesday. “As a New York voter, I am proud to lead this coalition in defending basic election integrity on behalf of all New Yorkers.”

On Wednesday, Hochul signed a package of bills designed to expand voting access across the Empire State, which allows registered voters to vote early using a mail-in ballot and same-day registration. The New York Early Mail Voter Act also intends to help the ballot request process from the Board of Elections and ballot tracking after it is sent in.

“The message is that people’s votes matter, people’s lives matter, and you don’t have to compromise to protect both,” Hochul said after signing the bills. “You can have the right to vote and continue on with life. So, you’re also fulfilling your duties as a citizen.”

“If you don’t want to expand the right to vote, here’s where you fall. You can either be on the side of democracy or against democracy,” she continued. “That’s how you’ll be defined … That’s what we will be known for here in the State of New York.”

Representatives from the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee joined with the New York State Conservative Party in suing Hochul and the state for the legislation. 

The New York Constitution reserves absentee voting for people who are not in their county of residence or are sick, taking care of someone who is sick or in jail or prison. Hochul’s package follows temporary changes made to voting in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republicans pointed to a failed 2021 amendment, where 55 percent of voters turned down a measure to expand access to absentee ballots. According to the statement, the RNC is involved in more than 50 cases of election integrity litigation in 16 states. 

“New Yorkers had a chance to vote on this policy in 2021 and they overwhelmingly rejected it,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.

“The RNC and its partners are stepping in because Kathy Hochul and New York Democrats are ignoring the outcome of that vote to push an unconstitutional attack on mail-in voting safeguards,” she added. 

State Sen. Michael Gianaris wrote off the complaints, claiming the law was only opposed by “the usual suspects.”

“Unsurprisingly, this new law is being opposed by the usual suspects: Trump loyalists and insurrection apologists,” Gianaris, who serves as the state Senate’s deputy leader, said in a statement.

“Their disdain for our democracy is well-established but we will not cede this critical ground to them as we continue to make it easier for people to vote and participate in choosing their government,” he added.