N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 9 § 4.104

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 36, September 4, 2024

Section 4.104 - Executive order no. 104: establishing a task force on encouraging electoral participation

WHEREAS, This year we celebrate the bicentennial of the founding of our Constitution;

WHEREAS, The Constitution assigns a significant role in our representative form of government to the people--that of selecting their public officials through the electoral process;

WHEREAS, Participating in the electoral process is a fundamental right and civic duty that serves as the foundation of our democracy and assures its success as a government of the people, by the people and for the people;

WHEREAS, It is a proper function of government to encourage electoral participation by determining why registered voters fail to vote and why eligible persons fail to register to vote, to eliminate unreasonable obstacles to voting and registration and to create mechanisms that facilitate voting and registration;

WHEREAS, Efforts to encourage New Yorkers to vote and to register have been taken through implementation of the recommendations of the Temporary Commission on Voting Machine Equipment and Voter Registration Systems and through implementing Executive Order No. 43 which facilitated voter registration by mail;

WHEREAS, Despite these efforts, approximately 40 percent of those entitled to register to vote in New York State have failed to register and the low levels of voter turnout experienced in New York State have not improved materially and, accordingly, further efforts are necessary to encourage New Yorkers to register to vote and to vote; and

WHEREAS, The creation of a task force to study citizen participation in the New York State electoral system, examine the factors relating to electoral participation and recommend steps that can be taken to foster greater participation by all citizens in our electoral process will invigorate our democracy and strengthen our governmental system:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mario M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State of New York, do hereby order as follows:

I. There is hereby created a Task Force on Encouraging Electoral Participation, to be composed of 18 members appointed by the Governor. The Chairperson of the Task Force shall be selected by the Governor.

II. The Task Force on Encouraging Electoral Participation shall:

(1) determine, through public opinion research techniques, review of existing data and analyses and other means, the reasons why eligible New Yorkers fail to vote or to register and what steps would tend positively to affect public behavior in those regards;

(2) review laws, rules, regulations, programs and procedures in other states and nations which have a high percentage of voter participation in the electoral process;

(3) review laws, rules, regulations, programs and procedures in this State relating to voting and voter registration and recommend amendments thereof or improvements therein that will increase voting and voter registration; and

(4) report its findings and recommendations to the Governor on or before February 15, 1988.

Signed: Mario M. CuomoDated: November 2, 1987

[FN*] [Revoked by Executive Order No. 31 (George E. Pataki), infra.]

[FN[DAGGER]] [Revoked by Executive Order No. 5 (Eliot Spitzer), infra.]

[Revoked by Executive Order No. 9 (David A. Paterson), infra.]

[Revoked by Executive Order No. 2 (Andrew M. Cuomo), infra.]

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 9 § 4.104