ALBANY, N.Y. - Voter turnout in New York is low - really low.

The state ranks 46th in the nation in a United States Election Project study. Experts say the reasons vary, but advocates are renewing calls for New York to join 33 other states that allow some form of expanded or early voting to get more people to cast ballots.

The New York State Bar Association is among the groups that testified before the State Assembly to make that case. Bar Association president David Miranda said early voting and a more streamlined voter-registration process would give more New Yorkers an opportunity to participate.

"In addition to increasing the time in which you can vote," he said, "making it easier to register to vote would provide a significant increase in engaging citizens with the ability to vote."

The Bar Association suggested that voting should start one week prior to Election Day. It also recommended having 16- and 17-year-olds voluntarily pre-register to vote and encouraged younger adults to vote. Opponents of those ideas have indicated concerns about increasing voter fraud.

The New York Public Interest Research Group is among the organizations urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allocate money for early voting in the 2016 budget. But Neal Rosenstein, the group's government reform coordinator, said early voting should be implemented with other reforms in order to be most effective.

"When we have districting, when we have rotten state campaign-finance laws, all of those things factor into voters' attitudes and views towards an election," he said. "We've got to tackle and address all of them if we really want to solve the problem and maximize turnout."

The State Assembly has passed early-voting legislation, but the Senate has not - although Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced several bills to increase voter access earlier this year, including online registration and early voting.

More informnation about New York voting trends is online at electproject.org.


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Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at 100 years of age, had a huge effect on the Golden State far beyond his presidency, according to California nonprofit leaders.

Carter and his wife Rosalynn volunteered for four decades with Habitat for Humanity, helping to build more than 200 homes in California and more than 4,000 nationwide.

Erin Rank, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, said his selfless example has inspired thousands of people over the years.

"We hear from the homeowners who talk about the impact that had on the trajectory of their life," Rank explained. "Both to have a stable place to live but also to have a president who was humble enough to show up and get his hands dirty and really build."

Rank noted she will join a number of families helped by the Carters to pay homage in Washington, D.C., next week when he lies in state at the Capitol Rotunda. Carter's influence is still widely felt, as he fought to desegregate schools and founded the Department of Education. He also created the cabinet-level Department of Energy and was the first to put solar panels on the White House.

Jimmy Carter was also a leader in civil rights.

Jorge Reyes Salinas, communications director for Equality California, said Carter was the first chief executive to invite LGBTQ+ people to the White House.

"Even stating that Jesus would be accepting of same-sex marriage, which -- as a Christian at that time -- it was a huge message for the American people to have those conversations," Salinas recounted.

Carter was also a major opposition figure condemning the failed Briggs initiative in 1978, a proposition on the California ballot that would have banned LGBTQ+ people from teaching in public schools.


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With the Montana Legislature scheduled to gavel in next week, conservation leaders are looking ahead at ways to protect the state's public lands, waterways and air quality.

Conservation groups are concerned the state's entire federal delegation and top statewide offices are now in the hands of anticonservation leaders.

Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, said given the loss of some environmental and conservation advocates it is important to protect the progress Montana has made, especially when it comes to water quality.

"Now more than ever, we have to stay incredibly vigilant about any erosion at all," Flowers emphasized.

Conservation groups said an anticonservation supermajority in the legislature was broken by picking up a dozen seats with candidates who support conservation efforts.

Longtime U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., lost his reelection bid to Republican Tim Sheehy, despite being credited with protecting Montana's public lands and waterways. It is the first time in more than 110 years Montana has had a federal delegation advocates consider ant-conservation.

Niki Zupanic, conservation advocate and former deputy director and staff attorney at Upper Seven Law, said it will be important to craft a message for moderate lawmakers.

"Who are thinking about tourism, who are thinking about why people come to Montana to recreate here," Zupanic stressed.

Zupanic also highlighted a nonpartisan supporter of the environmentally friendly Montana Constitution being elected to the state Supreme Court as a bright spot for the state in 2025.


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As the world reflects on the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, the Reverend Mashaun D. Simon sees a man whose ministry and authenticity continued to shape lives well beyond his time in the White House.

Carter, who taught Sunday school and welcomed thousands of visitors to Plains, Georgia, during his post-presidency years, left an indelible mark on those who encountered him.

Simon, who is studying pastoral theology and grief, sees Carter's passing as an opportunity for societal reflection. He believes it calls for a renewed commitment to continuing Carter's work.

"It's a sad moment because he is so cherished but I think also it's a watershed moment for us to be reminded to find the best ways to be impactful in our lives," Simon explained. "Creating not necessarily the same legacy that he did, but one that can be just as honorable."

Carter, the 39th U.S. president, passed away Sunday at age 100 in his Plains, Georgia, home. More than 40 years ago, he was a little-known Democratic candidate when he unexpectedly defeated Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election.

Simon recalls meeting former President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, during his senior year at Emory University, where, as student body president of the Theology School, he gave the blessing and invocation at a school dinner attended by the Carters.

"It was a great opportunity, very unexpected," Simon recounted. "I had no clue that when I ran to be student body president that one of the privileges of that experience would be to have an opportunity to sit down with former President Carter and his wife Rosalynn."

Carter is known as much for his post-presidency humanitarian efforts as for his time in the White House. He leaves behind a profound example of leadership rooted in compassion. Simon urged others to honor Carter's legacy by striving to create their own positive impact.


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