A State Supreme Court judge in Albany has upheld a law that gives New York residents the option to vote by mail. Monday’s ruling dismissed a Republican lawsuit arguing that the measure, which was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in September, violated the state’s constitution.
Governor Hochul issued the following statement on Monday in response to the ruling:
“The right to vote is sacred — a right that generations of Americans have fought to defend. Today’s ruling reaffirms the constitutionality of New York’s early vote-by-mail legislation, a critical initiative that will improve citizen participation and expand access to the ballot box for all eligible voters. Despite the best efforts of its opponents, democracy has once again prevailed in New York.”
House GOP Chair Elise Stefanik, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, issued the following statement:
“This decision is wrong, and we look forward to appealing on behalf of hardworking New Yorkers who deserve legal and valid elections.
“New York’s State Constitution is incredibly clear and requires a constitutional amendment to expand absentee voting. Even the Far Left radical Albany Legislature understands this, which is why in 2021, it submitted an amendment to allow ‘no-excuse’ absentee voting. The people of New York rejected that amendment in a landslide at the ballot box.
“Now Albany Democrats continue to shamelessly believe they are above the law and that just because they changed the name from absentee ballot to mail-in ballot, they don’t need to follow the Constitution.
“We strongly disagree with the court’s decision and believe our position will be upheld on appeal.”
