The early days of 2016 ushered in addresses on the State of the Union and State of the State where our respective chief executives called for election law reforms. As each underscored the importance of expanding the franchise, President Barack Obama and Governor Andrew Cuomo referred to markedly different legislative environments. The president lamented the efforts across the country to roll back voting rights, as well as partisan rancor and division stymieing congressional action.1 Gov. Cuomo, on the other hand, lauded the state Legislature for its leadership and ability to come together.2
Interestingly, the agendas were not dramatically different notwithstanding the supposed difference between Congress and Albany. Although he avoided specific proposals, Obama called for reducing the amount of money in politics and making it easier to vote by modernizing election administration. Cuomo called for public financing, automatic registration and early voting3—essentially, more specific versions of the ideas espoused by the president. Obama included a call for redistricting reform, specifically the idea of having independent line drawers.4 New York recently tackled this issue, amending its constitution in 2014 to alter its redistricting process.5
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