coalition building

Redistricting

After convening Our Voices Count, a project bringing together a collaboration of organizations in New York State dedicated to a fair and complete count in the 2020 Census, NYCET is now focused on redistricting, the process by which new congressional, state, and local legislative district boundaries are drawn. NYCET convenes a Redistricting Working Group of 30 partners and allied organizations to ensure that community members voices are centered in the redistricting process.

Voting Rights

NYCET is member of Let NY Vote, a nonpartisan, statewide coalition of grassroots networks, civil rights and civil liberties organizations, re-entry communities, good government groups, unions, social service providers, immigrant rights groups, and everyday citizens fighting to improve our elections by making registering and voting more accessible and equitable for every eligible New Yorker. 

Let NY Vote made history with the passage of a historic package of voting reforms in 2019, including Early Voting. NYCET has been convening a working group dedicated to the implementation of Early Voting in NYS since the spring of 2019, bringing together organizations who are deeply invested in ensuring that early voting in New York is a success. We work in close collaboration with Let NY Vote and Vote Early NY, a hub for information and educational materials about early voting in NY. Our working group conducts outreach to county Boards of Election across the state to gather information and advocate for strong implementation plans, including county-wide vote centers that are equitably distributed geographically and accessible hours of operation.

Campaign finance reform

NYCET is a part of Fair Elections NY, a broad coalition of 200+ groups across New York. Fair Elections reform includes limiting the influence of big money and increasing the power of small donations. The very wealthy and corporations shouldn’t be allowed to buy elections.

Following the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, small donor matching funds remains the most powerful way to counter the unlimited, secret money flowing into our elections. A small donor matching system for state elections, including District Attorneys, would give everyday people the means to run for office and represent their communities while relying on small donations instead of large checks. By matching small-dollar donations with public funding — at least $6 to every $1 raised — we can amplify the voices of women, people of color, the working and middle classes, and any and all under-represented New Yorkers in the political process.