Voting

Voting and being politically active is not an excuse for personal failures 🗳 🙄👨🏼‍💼👩🏿‍💼

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I often feel like people are using politics as a way to avoid personal responsibility and not address problems in their own lives and own communities. While I’m sure whoever occupies the White House or the State Capitol or City Hall has some minor bearing on your life, the truth is what you choose to do, the people you choose to associate with and the community you choose to live in has as much larger bearing on your life.

Do vote. It’s a low cost activity that doesn’t take much time. Early voting and absentee voting makes it even easier. In the autumn, spend a Saturday afternoon knocking doors and maybe a weeknight or two making calls. Attend public meetings and protests, be heard. It does make a difference to scream at and put pressure on the politicians, as few do.

But remember, the buck ultimately stops at you, and your life is only as good as you make it.

Why I split the ticket multiple ways this year 🗳

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I think it’s good to have different views on local government.

Both Democrats and Republicans have good ideas, it’s better if they come together in one room and work hand in hand to develop policies that benefit all Americans rather than their narrow ideological slices.

The veto pen after all is one of the best protectors of minority rights!

Gianaris on Republican concerns early voting by mail law

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Gianaris on Republican concerns early voting by mail law

Before the ink was dry on a series of 10 election reforms signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, Republicans – including U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik – filed a lawsuit arguing that one of the reforms, which expands the use of mail-in balloting during the early voting period “reverses the will of the people."

That’s a reference to a 2021 ballot question expanding absentee voting that voters defeated by a margin of 55-45%.

But according to bill sponsor state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris , the bill in question, the so-called "Early Mail Voting Act," is distinct from the question on the ballot in 2021.

“We’re not expanding absentee voting. We’re allowing people to vote by mail during the early voting period,” Gianaris told Capital Tonight. “The Constitution is very clear that the Legislature gets to determine the methods of voting."

The absentee process deals with people who may be absent or unavailable to get to the polls on Election Day. The statute signed into law by Hochul relates to a method of early voting.

“What we’re saying is that, as a method of early voting, which we now have in this state, you can go show up at the polls on any of those given early days, or you can vote by mail if you choose to,” explained Gianaris.