A broad coalition of labor unions and good government groups descended upon the state Capitol on Tuesday in an effort to rally support for early voting.

As part of his annual State of the State address earlier this month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a proposal to allow New Yorkers to cast their vote up to 12 days before an election. The Democratic governor's proposal would require every county to offer residents access to at least one early voting site in the 12 days leading up to an election, even on weekends.

While Cuomo included the proposal in his state address to the Legislature, he didn't couple it with funding. Let NY Vote—a coalition of unions, nonprofits, advocacy and good government groups—is asking the state Legislature to appropriate $7 million in dedicated funds for early voting.

Already more than two dozen states have some form of early voting in place for their residents. In New York, there are several pieces of legislation that seek to allow residents to cast their vote early.

Jerry Goldfeder, an expert in election law who is special counsel at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York City, told the New York Law Journal Tuesday afternoon that multiple-day voting was common earlier in U.S. history, but was ended in an effort to stop voters from casting ballots in several states during the same elections.

“Enabling voters a longer period of time in which to cast their ballot reprises common practice in the 1800s, where multiple-day voting was the norm. It has the advantage of addressing the burdensome practicalities of modern life as well as making voting less of an ordeal on Election Day.”

One proposal, backed by Democrats—who are in the minority in the state Senate—would amend election law to establish a seven-day early voting period running until the Sunday before a primary, special or general election. The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Brian Kavanagh, a Democrat who represents parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, has failed to gain traction in the Republican-led Senate in recent years.

Another proposal backed by Queens Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, a Democrat, and Republican state Sen. Betty Little of Glens Falls would allow registered voters to cast their votes in a special or general election 14 days prior.

“Voters have a right to have their voices heard at the ballot box,” Rozic said. “New York needs to join 37 other states in the 21st century and enact early voting options.“