Why Did Molinaro Switch His Vote? State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro called state election law "archaic" yet he refuses to fix these very same rules for absentee voting. An important voting reform bill passed in the Assembly recently. Only five members took the radical position to oppose the reform. Assemblyman Molinaro was one of the five "no" votes. New York state's absentee ballot application could be simplified if the reform passes the state Senate, too. The new form would require less personal information — information that some voters prefer not to provide on a publicly available document. This reform would prevent election lawyers from throwing out votes cast when that information wasn't provided, by oversight or out of privacy concerns. The bill (A05276) was popular, passing by a huge margin. The majority of Republicans even voted for it. Now, the reform measure moves to the Senate for a vote. Molinaro's "no" vote against the bill was either hypocritical or a flip-flop. Molinaro is listed as a multi-sponsor on the bill! Why did Molinaro sponsor the bill and then vote against it? Molinaro may want to reduce absentee voting in the Hudson Valley. Remember the election for the congressional seat last spring — a contest that Republicans lost when all the absentee votes were tallied? Republican election lawyers tried to suppress large numbers of absentee ballots. We have a statewide voter database that ensures voters get only one vote each. What is Molinaro afraid of? John Pelosi Letters to the Editor
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