Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Fred Ashkar

Fred Ashkar

  • Electronic Poll Books Next Step in New York Election Overhaul

    express poll e poll book

    (photo: Elections Systems & Software)


    As Democrats in the state Legislature continue a rapid pace of passing legislation to start the new session, the state Senate seems poised to advance another round of election and voting reforms, including approving the use of electronic poll books to administer elections.

    Electronic poll books, used in at least 34 states and the District of Columbia, are a fairly simple but significant instrument in

    ...
  • New York Primaries are Closed, Repetitive and Costly

    cuomo voting 2015 machine

    Gov. Cuomo votes in 2015 (photo via Governor's Office)


    In April, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won the Democratic and Republican New York presidential primaries, respectively. New York has a well-publicized and worsening voter turnout problem, and approximately one in four registered New York voters could have no say in the presidential primary outcomes even if they wanted to - other than by changing their party affiliation more than a year prior.

    New York is one of only ...