Propositions 1, 3, and 4 failed to earn approval on Tuesday – much to the delight of Long Island Republicans.
Advertised by its supporters as “election reform,” the propositions had resistance from voters which resulted in three definitive “no’s” secured. With their failure to receive the votes necessary for approval, the return of gerrymandering (Proposition 1) with regard to legislative redistricting, fraud-inviting same-day voting registration (Proposition 3), and universal voting by mail (Proposition 4) have been thwarted.
Last year, former Governor Andrew Cuomo temporarily oversaw the implementation of the latter due to the Covid-19 pandemic; to disastrous results, according to the Republicans who successfully labored to fend it off for the long haul.
The conservatively aligned voters accurately assessed the hazards that redistricting and voting reform, they perceive as socialism incarnate, could pose to the playing field, if the red tsunami that swept the polls on Tuesday is any indication.
According to the New York State Board of Elections’ unofficial results, Proposition 1 garnered 1,517,296 “no’s” (48.52 %), Proposition 3 garnered 1,606,939 (51.34%), and Proposition 4 raked in 1,567,670 (50.09%) – and counting.
In a statement, Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar declared that if the numbers hold, then New Yorkers have rejected a “a gross attempt to subvert democracy.”
Meanwhile, voters elected “yes” to the lesser covered Propositions 2 and 5, in large.
“We can’t exercise our right to free speech if we’re having trouble breathing,” Eddie Bautista, executive director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, told the New York Times when describing the importance of Proposition 2’s environmentally charged language to minorities. The measures in Proposition 2 are designed to combat pollution, while Proposition 5 will call for the state to monetarily step up two-fold for New York City civil courts, raising the claims limit for applicable cases from $25,000 to $50,000.
Republicans feel their victorious campaign to squander Propositions 1, 3, and 4’s passage cannot be underestimated.
With the trio of proposals now out of the picture, what’s considered “progressive” on paper will undergo substantial framework rejiggering to eschew opportunities for voter fraud to arise. As has been the case, absentee ballots will only be issued to those who are sick or physically unable to report to their local poll site on Election Day – at least for the foreseeable future.
Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) said, “the people of New York were heard loud and clear. She added, “they defeated three ballot propositions that would have delivered one party rule in Albany for decades. After three years of New York City Democrats pushing people around, letting criminals out of jail, and working to defend our police, the people of New York State showed they would not tolerate the rigging of future elections. They won’t stand for attacks on our suburban way of life, or quests to undermine our democracy.”
Though an odd-year local election, the back-of-the-ballot items passed, but more importantly, those rejected – made this a National election with tangible consequence.
