Democrats in New York are pushing to add a number of constitutional amendments to the 2024 ballot in an effort to motivate voter turnout in their party’s favor, boosting their chances to retake House districts that are crucial to flipping control of the lower chamber next year.
Left-leaning Democratic groups in the Empire State are pledging $20 million toward the “New Yorkers for Equal Rights” ballot measure seeking to codify abortion and LGBT rights to the New York State Constitution. The strategy follows a similar move in Michigan during the 2022 midterm elections when an abortion amendment was added to the November ballot, boosting voter turnout and allowing Democrats to hold on to their seats.
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“With the equal rights ballot measure, New York can build a playbook for how the rest of the country can defend and expand fundamental rights for everyone,” the New Yorkers for Equal Rights group wrote in a memo outlining the strategy. “The threats are all too real, and New Yorkers for Equal Rights will ensure that every person in our state is treated with dignity and respect, whether it be on our streets, in workplaces, or in our health care system, and to stand up and make clear that New York is a state committed to equality.”
The ballot measure will seek to protect access to abortion as well as codify protections for LGBT people, crack down on racial discrimination, and preserve healthcare for the elderly and those with disabilities. But beyond protecting what the group considers to be crucial civil rights, Democrats are also seeking to use the amendment process to win back key House districts that were flipped last year.
One of the key goals listed in the memo is an effort to target seven swing congressional districts in the state, including New York’s 3rd, 4th, 17th, and 19th districts — all of which were flipped red during the midterm elections, helping Republicans secure the House majority. The ballot measure will also seek to motivate turnout among women voters and people of color in areas that saw a decline in voter turnout between 2020 and 2022.
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However, the memo is careful to warn against motivating turnout in a way that would also boost opponents to “turn out against it.” Instead, the group is painting the effort as a way to ensure certain rights are protected rather than a strategy to boot Republican lawmakers.
“At a moment in time when policymakers and courts are narrowing and rescinding rights, New York is putting equality on the ballot — to combat extremism, certify our rights, and ensure that New York leads the way when it comes to safeguarding freedom and equality,” the memo added. “Because above all else, voters just want their fellow New Yorkers to feel safe.”