WHEREAS, an individual's right to vote is a fundamental right that serves as the bulwark of our democracy;
WHEREAS, many individuals do not exercise their right to vote because they are unaware of registration requirements or do not have access to voter registration forms;
WHEREAS, the State is in a unique position to assist its citizens in registering to vote and thereby assure that they have opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to vote; and
WHEREAS, State employees as public servants are best qualified to assist the public by providing assistance which will enable citizens to fully participate in the democratic process;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mario M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of New York, do hereby order as follows:
I. Procedures for the Program of Voter Registration The following procedures are hereby established to implement the program of voter registration:
(1) State agencies which have regular contact with the public in their daily administration of business, including the Departments of Labor, Motor Vehicles, Social Services and State, the Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board, and any other such agency selected by the Governor, shall conduct voter registration projects to assist citizens of the State in registering to vote.(2) State agencies conducting voter registration projects shall make mail registration forms available to persons who are interested in registering to vote, and shall make staff available to assist the public in filling out the mail registration forms.(3) All voter registration projects shall be conducted in the public areas of State agencies.(4) Each agency involved in a project, after consultation with the Office of Employee Relations, shall make employees available to administer the agency's voter registration project.(5) Employees involved in a voter registration project shall assist persons interested in registering to vote by explaining the mail registration process and the questions contained on the mail registration form in accordance with the guidelines of the State Board of Elections, and shall maintain a position of strict neutrality with respect to a person's party enrollment.II. Establishment of Voter Registration Task Force A Task Force composed of the Director of State Operations, the Commissioners of the Departments of Labor, Motor Vehicles, Social Services, State, the Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board, and the heads of any other agencies selected to conduct voter registration projects, the Directors of the Office of Employee Relations and the Division of the Budget, and the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, or their representatives, is hereby established. The Director of State Operations shall serve as Chairman of the Task Force.
The Task Force shall meet at least quarterly. It shall:
(1) coordinate the administration of the program in appropriate State agency offices;(2) resolve any administrative difficulties which may arise as the program is implemented;(3) develop training programs for State employees involved in the registration effort;(4) report by December 31st to the Governor on the progress of the program. The report shall include information on the number of new voters registered and the operation of the program in agency offices, and suggestions for the improved administration of the program; and(5) seek comments and proposals from the public or interested entities concerning the effectiveness of the program and suggestions for improvement. Signed: Mario M. CuomoDated: July 9, 1984
[FN*] [Revoked and superseded by Executive Order No. 136 (Mario M. Cuomo), § 4.136, infra.]
[FN[DAGGER]] [Revoked by Executive Order No. 5 (Eliot Spitzer), infra.]
[Revoked by Executive Order No. 9 (David A. Paterson), infra.]
[Revoked by Executive Order No. 2 (Andrew M. Cuomo), infra.]
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 9 § 4.43