Fewer Ballots Would Get Nixed Under Just-Passed Voter Protection Bill

BROOKLYN, NY — Nearly 14,000 New York voters disenfranchised in the 2020 general election would have their ballots count under a bill passed in the State Assembly Wednesday.

The bill, which is sponsored by Park Slope Assembly Member Robert Carroll and passed in the State Senate earlier this week, would require ballots cast in the correct county and assembly district to count in an election, even if a voter casts their ballot at a polling place other than the one they are assigned.

The city Board of Elections assigns every voter a polling place, but those locations often vary between early voting and Primary Day with different rules for absentee ballot voters and nearby locations that are in different districts— leading to confusion.

As it currently stands, election officials can toss entire affidavit ballots — those cast in lieu of a regular ballot — submitted by registered voters in the wrong polling place, known as "wrong church" ballots.

During the 2020 general election, "wrong church" is the most common reason why affidavit ballots cast by registered New York voters were disqualified statewide, according to multiple reports.

"No voter should be disenfranchised simply because they mistakenly went to the wrong polling place in their assembly district," said Carroll. "This bill will ensure that thousands of voters who inadvertently cast a ballot at an incorrect polling place have their votes rightly counted for the races for which they are qualified."

The so-called "wrong church" bill stands to have the greatest impact in New York City, which was disproportionately affected by the polling place rule in the 2020 general election, according to reporting from The City.

During that election, 69 percent of the state's voters disqualified on the basis of "wrong church" lived in one of the five boroughs, amounting to nearly 10,000 city residents, The City found.

Voters in the most densely populated communities and in majority minority neighborhoods were the most negatively impacted by the rule, the bill's supporters said, noting that it is part of a larger effort to combat nationwide voter suppression.

"At a time when Republicans all over the country are seeking to make it more difficult to vote, it is more important than ever for New York to ensure that all voters are protected and that all eligible votes are counted," said Carroll. He described the bill as "critical and overdue."

After passing both the State Assembly and Senate this week, the bill is now waiting to be delivered to the Governor, who could sign it into law.