In last year’s elections, Democrats rightly got walloped in New York: They lost all but one of the state’s House swing seats in New York because they are not in touch with the issues important to New Yorkers.
New Yorkers are smart: They know that because of the failed policies of President Biden, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Albany Democrats, our borders are open, illegal immigrants are pouring into our country by the millions, violent crime is skyrocketing as our cities become more unsafe — and families are worse off than before Biden took office as inflation wipes out savings.
How are New York Democrats responding to voters’ anger? By eroding the rule of law and the Empire State’s last few remaining election integrity measures.
In addition to illegally trying (again!) to gerrymander the state’s congressional districts, Democrats in the Legislature have devised a strategy out of thin air to force unregulated mass mail-in ballots with no safeguards.
Hochul just signed a new law to eliminate basic absentee ballot safeguards, throwing open the doors to chaos in our election system.
Thankfully, a coalition of Republicans and conservatives is taking the fight to the far left and defending election integrity in New York’s courts on behalf of all New Yorkers.
Alongside RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and the Republican National Committee, I am leading a lawsuit joined by my fellow New York Republican Reps. Nick Langworthy, Nicole Malliotakis and Claudia Tenney.
We are also joined by the National Republican Congressional Committee, the New York Republican Party, the Conservative Party of New York, and Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections.
As a New York voter, I could not feel stronger about this fight in front of us. We must not allow Kathy Hochul and extreme New York Democrats to destroy what is left of election integrity in New York.
Under Hochul’s failed leadership, elections are less secure and transparent — and this law would make them unconstitutional.
Yes, the state constitution specifically prohibits unregulated mass mail ballots.
Making Democrats’ desperate scheme even more offensive: New Yorkers already voted on this measure — and voted it down.
The Legislature presented this same effort to undermine election integrity as a proposed constitutional amendment two years ago.
New York voters overwhelmingly rejected it.
That is, the people already had the chance to weigh in on this proposed policy and made it clear that they were against it.
That’s how the system is supposed to work.
But far-left New York Democrats don’t care about trampling on our state constitution any more than they do about inflation, crime, or the issues slamming our citizens.
Or about any semblance of security and integrity in our elections.
People deserve basic election safeguards to ensure their trust in the voting process.
New Yorkers also deserve to have their will respected in significant constitutional matters such as this.
New York Democrats have let New Yorkers down on both counts, so we’re taking them to court.
Our coalition is suing the state to prevent this unconstitutional and underhanded policy from becoming law.
This isn’t the first time Republicans have had to step in to promote basic election integrity in New York.
In 2021, when radical New York Democrats unconstitutionally tried to let 900,000 non-citizens vote in New York City elections, Republicans took the Big Apple to court — and we won.
Trying to circumvent the law to destroy trust in elections is not only bad policy, it’s a bad political strategy: New Yorkers will see right through what the radicals are trying to impose on our state.
Republicans in New York and across the country are committed to fighting Democrats on issues just like this.
Voting methods like absentee ballots are only trustworthy if there are essential safeguards around the process and if they are used for people who cannot vote in person during the early voting period or on Election Day.
We encourage people to legally apply for and vote by absentee ballot as it stands in the state constitution.
That’s our position — and as 2021 proved, a majority of New Yorkers agree with us.
We look forward to fighting and winning this case in court on behalf of all New Yorkers.
Rep. Elise Stefanik chairs the House Republican Conference.
