NY Legislature Approves Automatic Voter Registration

Albany’s CBS News affiliate reports:

The New York State Legislature passed automatic voter registration, which introduces a streamlined, more accessible voter registration process. New Yorkers would be automatically registered whenever they interact with a “qualified” government agency like the DMV or Department of Health.

Having passed the Senate on Wednesday and the Assembly on Thursday, the legislation still must be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to become a law. The bill would go into effect on January 1, 2023.

Automatic voter registration, or AVR, is part of a legislative package building on previous voting rights legislation. Counting Washington D.C., 20 states already have some form of AVR. Other states—and the Trump administration—routinely introduce voter fraud security measures that block eligible voters from exercising their rights.