Monday, July 14, 2025
Democracy begins at the ballot box. But for far too many Long Islanders—especially working-class residents, naturalized immigrants, and communities of color—that access remains out of reach. According to the Institute for Responsive Government, which reviewed data from the analytics firm Catalist, more than 400,000 eligible but unregistered voters live in Nassau and Suffolk counties. This is a crisis of representation.
Long Islanders are working harder than ever to make ends meet, care for their families, and contribute to the future of their communities. Yet, when it comes to voting, the system still places unnecessary obstacles in the path of participation. Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration (EAVR) offers a simple, secure, and transformative solution. And Long Island stands to benefit significantly from this critical piece of legislation.
Our current voter registration system is outdated, confusing, and inefficient. It places the burden of registering entirely on individuals, many of whom are busy working multiple jobs, caring for children, or navigating bureaucratic systems in a second language. On Long Island and across New York State, this is particularly true for young people, low-income residents, immigrants, and people of color.
Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration offers a commonsense, modern solution to change this dynamic. By upgrading our current voter registration system, this legislation would register eligible voters automatically when they interact with government agencies, like the DMV or Medicaid, unless they choose to opt out. EAVR would streamline an unnecessarily complex process. Long Island residents wouldn’t have to deal with any more missed forms or waiting in line at confusing registration events, causing them to fall through the cracks.
Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration will not just make voting more accessible, it will make our elections more secure. Under EAVR, state agencies that automatically register voters must first verify their citizenship, residence, and eligibility to vote in New York. This document-based verification will prevent noncitizens from inadvertently registering to vote and ensure that voters who have moved recently are registered at the correct address. Expanding voter participation, while preventing paperwork errors with potentially serious consequences, is critical on Long Island, where immigrant households often include both citizens and noncitizens and high mobility results in frequent address changes.
Beyond the logistical benefits, Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration would restore power to many people historically locked out of the electoral process. In Nassau and Suffolk Counties, hundreds of thousands of our neighbors are unable to influence key decisions about housing affordability, school funding, public transportation, and environmental safety. When more of our neighbors are registered, more of our voices are heard, and our democracy becomes more representative and more responsive.
The numbers speak for themselves. In states that have adopted similar enhanced registration systems, voter participation has surged. For example, since Colorado implemented Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration in 2020, the state saw an increase of more than half a million registered and active voters. That’s no coincidence. And when people vote, our government works better for everyone.
Long Island’s future depends on inclusive democracy. We cannot afford to leave nearly half a million potential voters on the sidelines. The Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration act would bring us one step closer to a system where voting is not a privilege of the few, but a right accessible to all who qualify.
We must act now to ensure our local, state, and national elections reflect the real diversity and strength of our communities. For our neighborhoods, our families, and our future, it’s time for New York to pass Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration and make it law. Let’s unlock the power of Long Island’s people—and build a democracy that is truly representative of us all.
Assemblymember Charles David Lavine represents the 13th Assembly District and serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee and as a member of the Committees on Codes, Ethics and Guidance, Rules, and Insurance.
