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Council Member Brewer introduces and explains the Voter Confidentiality for Domestic Violence Survivors bill
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Council Member Gale A. Brewer introduces and explains the importance of Introduction 565-2024, also known as the "Voter Confidentiality for Domestic Violence Survivors" bill. She outlines how the legislation aims to protect domestic violence survivors by requiring city agencies to provide guidance on confidential voter registration and special ballot voting.
- The bill builds upon 2021 state legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul
- It addresses the issue of survivors being unaware of existing protections
- Brewer emphasizes the importance of keeping survivors' addresses confidential from perpetrators
Gale A. Brewer
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Thank you very much, Ressler, for hearing this bill.
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I am proud to hopefully pass intro five six five twenty twenty four, the Voter Confidentially for Domestic Violence Survivors bill.
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The reason this is important is, yes, there is legislation that was passed in 2021 and signed by Kathy Hochul in Albany, and that enables survivors of domestic violence to request confidential voter registration directly from the board of elections by bypass bypassing the court process.
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However, that's a significant step forward, but many survivors remain unaware of how to access these protections.
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So the intro that we're talking about today requires, as you heard, city agencies, particularly those serving survivors through the family justice centers to provide clear guidance and resources on how survivors can ensure their voter registration remains confidential and how they can vote by special ballot.
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This is important because, as you know, many survivors end up in locations that are hidden from their perpetrators.
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And it's important that the perpetrators, even though there is some kind of sometimes, bless you, protection, there isn't enough, and they need to not have their, address listed on their voter registration.
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So I'm delighted that all of the agencies are supportive of this, piece of legislation, and I look forward to passage.
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I do wanna thank Cynthia Hornig from my office who has been working on this for a long time.
0:02:04
Even when we were borough president, we tried to pass it, so it's exciting to have it be done today.
0:02:08
Thank you very much.