Ballot questions New York voters will be asked on Election Day
NEW YORK (PIX11) – In addition to highly anticipated federal and state races, New York voters will be asked to weigh in on one statewide ballot measure on Election Day.
At the ballot box, New York voters will decide whether to update the state's Constitution to address discrimination based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or gender.
The amendment protects reproductive health care and autonomy, including the right to abortion, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union. The amendment has already passed both houses of the New York State Legislature. The amendment reads:
No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws of this state or any subdivision thereof. No person shall, because of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed [or], religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy, be subjected to any discrimination in [his or her] their civil rights by any other person or by any firm, corporation, or institution, or by the state or any agency or subdivision of the state, pursuant to law.
Equal Rights Amendment, Proposition 1
The state Constitution does not offer any protections based on gender but does prohibit race and religion-based discrimination, according to the New York State Bar Association.
Similar clauses to protect reproductive rights have been adopted in other states, like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. A similar amendment that protects against sex-based discrimination is also up for debate at the federal level.
“The timing of this amendment could not be more critical,” said representatives of the New York State Bar Association, referring to the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
A guide to ballot measures in NYC and on Long Island
Proposition 2: Allow the Sanitation Department greater enforcement power for trash collection, including expanded enforcement against small businesses and street vendors. It would allow DSNY to regulate trash bag placement and containerization. It would allow the department to bypass public input on sanitation laws, according to the New York City Council.
Proposition 3: This proposal deals with financial analysis and the city budget. It would update the City Charter to require a fiscal analysis of any laws by the council and the mayor's office. This proposal would also give the mayor's office more time to submit a preliminary deadline after an election and extend the deadline for an executive budget for the mayor and borough presidents. The New York City Council warns this measure will reduce budget transparency and create a redundant review process.
Proposition 4: Require additional 30-day public notice time for any new laws regarding the public safety operations of the FDNY, NYPD, and Corrections Department. During this time, the mayor and other agencies can hold public hearings on the proposal. The City Council warns this proposition would excessively impede and delay public safety laws and give the mayor too much power.
Proposition 5: This would require more detail in annual assessments of city facilities. The facility needs would then inform capital planning via the city's Ten-Year Capital Strategy, which would also have its deadline extended. The City Council says this bill would not create meaningful change to the city's infrastructure.
Proposition 6: This would establish a new position in the city Constitution, Chief Business Diversity Officer, and give the mayor more authority in issuing film permits. Currently, only the Department of Small Business can clear these permits. It would also merge two boards, the Archival Review Board and the Archives, Reference and Research Board, which currently review city archives. The City Council warns this proposition did not have enough public input.
To view a sample ballot for New York City, click here.
Proposition 2: Would amend the Suffolk County Charter to extend the Drinking Water Protection Program and update the county’s wastewater infrastructure. The program will be funded using a one-eighth percent increase in sales tax. To read more about Prop 2, click here.