THIS FALL, CANDIDATES FOR STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE RACES IN NEW YORK, WILL BE RUNNING IN BRAND NEW DISTRICTS, CRAFTED AS PART OF A REQUIRED, DECENNIAL REDISTRICTING PROCESS.

IN LIGHT OF THIS SHAKEUP, WE WANTED TO EXAMINE HOW OUR POLITICAL BOUNDARIES WERE CRAFTED AND CONSIDER WHAT THE PROCESS SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.

ALL THAT, COMING UP NEXT, ON CONNECT: NEW YORK.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> WELCOME TO CONNECT-NEW YORK, I'M DAVID, LOMBARDO, HOST OF WCNY'S THE CAPITOL PRESSROOM, A DAILY PUBLIC RADIO SHOW BROADCASTING FROM THE STATE CAPITOL.

TODAY'S PROGRAM REVOLVES AROUND REDISTRICTING, THE ONCE EVERY TEN-YEAR PRACTICE OF DRAWING NEW LEGISLATIVE MAPS, TO REFLECT CHANGES IN POPULATION DOCUMENTED BY THE CENSUS.

HERE IN NEW YORK, THE PROCESS FOR 2022 DEVIATED FROM PAST DECADES, AS THE RESULT OF A 2014 STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT, WHICH EMPOWERED A BIPARTISAN REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.

BUT, LIKE MOST THINGS IN THE EMPIRE STATE, THE PROCESS WAS NOT WITHOUT SOME HICCUPS, INCLUDING A LEGAL FIGHT THAT WENT TO NEW YORK'S TOP COURT AND LAST-MINUTE REDRAWING OF MAPS, PROMPTING US TO WONDER IF A BETTER SYSTEM COULD BE PUT IN PLACE FOR AFTER THE 2030 CENSUS.

TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND MORE, WE'RE JOINED IN THE STUDIO BY JEFF WICE, A SENIOR FELLOW AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR WITH THE NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL'S CENSUS AND REDISTRICITNG INSTITUTE, WHO — IN ANOTHER LIFE — WAS THE REDISTRICTING COUNSEL TO STATE DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATIVE LEADER, AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED BY DUSTIN CZARNY, THE DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER FOR ONONDAGA COUNTY, AND PARTICIPATING REMOTELY IS MICHELLE LAMBERTI, SO, JEFF, FOR DECADES, THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN NEW YORK HAS BEEN HELMED PRIMARILY BY THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS WHOSE MAIN FOCUS WAS PROBABLY PRESERVING THEIR MAJORITIES.

WE HAVE A NEW PROCESS, AS I MENTIONED FOR 2022'S ELECTION, WHICH IS THE RESULT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2014.

HOW DID THAT AMENDMENT SHAKE UP THE STATUS QUO?

>> THE VOTERS IN 2014 APPROVED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT TOOK REDISTRICTING OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE LEGISLATURE, WHERE THE LINES HAD BEEN REDRAWN FOR DECADES BY THE LEGISLATURE AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR WITH NO VETOES FROM THE GOVERNOR SINCE 1929 WHEN GOVERNOR FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT VETOED A PLAN.

IT WAS AN INCUMBENT PROTECTIONS SCENARIO WHERE THE LEGISLATORS GO THE TO DRAW THEIR OWN LINES OR AS REFORMERS WOULD SAY, GOT TO PICK THEIR OWN VOTERS.

BY 2012, THE LATE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ED KOCH AND THEN GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO LED THE CAMPAIGN FOR AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION.

>> LED MIGHT BE STRONG FOR ANDREW CUOMO.

I THINK HE WAS ON THE BUS.

>> URGED.

SO BY 2012, WHAT GOVERNOR CUOMO AGREED TO WAS NOT TO CREATE A COMMISSION FOR THE LAST DECADE BUT IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE LEGISLATURE TO DRAW LINES FOR ONE MORE GO AROUND BACK IN 2012, THAT HE AGREED TO THAT AND SIGN A PLAN INTO LAW IF THE LEGISLATURE APPROVED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO CREATE A COMMISSION MOVING FORWARD.

SO IN 2012, THE LEGISLATURE APPROVED A COMMISSION SCENARIO TO LET OUTSIDE PEOPLE SUGGEST LINES TO THE LEGISLATURE THAT WAS REAPPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE AGAIN IN 2013.

AND APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN 2014.

SO WE HAVE A NEW COMMISSION THAT WAS ALLEGEDLY INDEPENDENT AND ONE THAT WOULD END THE PRACTICE OF THE POLITICIANS PICKING THEIR VOTERS.

AND MICHELLE, JEFF SAYS ALLEGEDLY INDEPENDENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE COMMISSIONERS NEED TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE AND THEY CAME FROM THE POLITICIANS, THOSE PESKY POLITICIANS THAT I MENTIONED WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REDISTRICTING IN THE PAST SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WERE HEADING INTO WITH HAD REDISTRICTING PROCESS WITH A REDISTRICTING COMMISSION EVENLY SPLIT BUT HAD TIES TO POLITICAL LEADERS, WHAT WAS I GUESS THE PROMISE OF THIS COMMISSION AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT COMPARED TO WHAT ACTUALLY PLAYED OUT.

>> I THINK IN RESPECT TO THE GREAT BACKGROUND OF WHERE WE WERE IN 2014, AND I THINK THE INTENTION WAS, AT LEAST BY THE VOTERS, THAT THIS WOULD REALLY CHANGE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS.

I THINK THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN 2014 LOOKED QUITE DIFFERENT THAN IT DOES TODAY.

AND SO WHAT WE MAY HAVE ENVISIONED AS A MORE COLLABORATIVE BIPARTISAN PROCESS BECAUSE AT THAT TIME THERE WAS DIVIDED GOVERNMENT IN ALBANY, BY THE TIME REDISTRICTING CAME AROUND IN 2022, LOOKED QUITE DIFFERENT SO I THINK WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS PLAYED OUT BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE LEGISLATURE AT THE TIME, REALLY OR DEALING WITH THE SITUATION IN THE MOMENT, I DON'T THINK LOOKING FORWARD THEY ENVISIONED THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN TODAY AND I THINK SOME OF THE POLITICAL REALITIES MADE THE PROCESS MORE DIFFICULT.

THAT SAID, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAD ANTICIPATED EXACTLY HOW THE I.R.C.

PROCESS WOULD PLAY OUT.

THE DEADLOCK, MULTIPLE MAP, THAT WAS A POINT HIVE AND I THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN REFORMING THE PROCESS BUT ALSO THE VOTERS TO SEE THE PROCESS, REALLY NOT WORKING FOR NEW YORK.

THAT SAID, I THINK THERE WERE DEFINITELY INFIRMITIES IN THE ORIGINAL REFORM LEGISLATION.

IT WAS KIND OF, I THINK AT THE TIME, THE BEST THING WE THOUGHT WE COULD PASS.

IN RETROSPECT, THERE ARE PROBABLY THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS IMAGINE THAT AT THE TIME.

SO THE PROCESS THAT REALLY PLAYED OUT, I THINK, DIFFERENTLY FROM A LOT OF THE GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUPS HAD HOPED.

>> WELL, DUSTIN, YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO IS, YOU KNOW, ON THE GRASSROOTS HERE, WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD WHEN IT COMES TO ELECTIONS AT MARX.

AND YOU ALSO WERE, YOU KNOW ON THE FRONT LINES WATCHING THESE HEARINGS THAT THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION WAS CONDUCTING FOR MONTHS PRIOR TO THEIR INABILITY TO ACTUALLY REACH A CONSENSUS ON LEGISLATIVE BOUNDARIES.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID PRIOR TO THEIR, I GUESS, ULTIMATE FAILURE?

>> I THINK THE OPEN MEETING PROCESS WAS BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE, WHERE IT WAS JUST A LEGISLATURE.

OBVIOUSLY THE PUBLIC HAD A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN.

THERE WERE MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

THERE WAS A CHANCE FOR SUBMISSIONS.

BUT I THINK WHAT MICHELLE SAID REALLY DIALS IN ON WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THAT OLD COMMISSION.

OR WITH THE NEW COMMISSION BECAUSE THE INCENTIVE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ENDED WHEN DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER STATE GOVERNMENT AND ENDED FOR BOTH SIDES BECAUSE AND THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE CHANGED AS WELL.

REDISTRICTING BECAME MORE OF AN ISSUE BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE WANTED NEW YORK TO COUNTERACT WHAT WE SAW IN TEXAS AND IN OTHER STATES SO THERE WATT MORE INCENTIVE TO HAVE A MORE AGGRESSIVELY DRAWN MAP IN NEW YORK TO FAVOR DEMOCRATS AND LESS INCENTIVE BY THE REPUBLICANS TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE OTHER DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION TO COME UP WITH THE FINAL MAPS.

THAT'S WHY WE HAD SPLIT MAPS IN THE FIRST ROUND AND NO MAPS IN THE SECOND ROUND BECAUSE THERE WAS NO INCENTIVE STRUCTURE IN PLACE TO REACH A DEAL IN THIS EVENLY SPLIT COMMISSION BECAUSE DEMOCRATS HAD CONTROL OF ALL OF STATE GOVERNMENT AND SO THE REPUBLICANS DID NOT FEEL LIKE THEY COULD COME TO ABAGREEMENT.

THEY DIDN'T COME TO AN AGREEMENT AND SO WHEN WE GOT TO THIS LOGGERHEAD, THE LEGISLATURE DECIDED TO FIX THAT BY DRAWING THE MAPS THEMSELVES WHICH THE STATE COURT HAS SAID IS NOT ALLOWED.

AND SO THAT, HAVING THESE PARTISANS INVOLVED IN DRAWING WHETHER IT WAS IN THE INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING WHICH THE GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUPS WENT TO COURT TO GET AT TERM STRICKEN FROM THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.

>> YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO HEAR ME REFER TO IT.

I WILL CALL IT THE BIPARTISAN DISTRICTING.

>> THAT'S WHAT IT WAS AND IN THE NATIONAL CLIMATE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT IS FEW AND FAR BETWEEN SO IT WAS SET UP TO FAIL AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT DID.

>> LET ME ADD TO THAT.

IN 2012, WHEN THE AMENDMENT WAS FIRST DRAFTED TO CREATE THE COMMISSION, THE DRAFTING WAS DONE BY GOVERNOR CUOMO'S OFFICE AND THE SENATE REPUBLICANS WHO WERE THEN IN LEADERSHIP FOLLOWING THE 2009-10 PERIOD WHEN DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED THE SENATE BUT LOST IT AGAIN AFTER THE 20 TENNEY ELECTRICSES.

THE REPUBLICANS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE CREATING IN 2012 THEY CREATED IN THE AMENDMENT DIFFERENT RULES DEPENDING ON WHO CONTROLLED THE LEGISLATURE WHETHER IT WAS THE DEMOCRATS CONTROLLING BOTH CHAMBERS OR SPLIT CONTROL.

SO THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND KNEW THAT AT SOME POINT, THIS WAS DESTINED TO FAIL.

IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT, WELL, 2014 WAS DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE ARE HAVING, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT POLITICAL CLIMATE.

I THINK THEY KNEW EXACTLY THAT YOU LET THIS PROCESS FAIL BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS BACK IN 2014 KNEW THAT TIME WAS AGAINST THEM IN TERMS OF NEW YORK BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A BLUE STATE AND IT WOULD END UP, THE WHOLE PROCESS WOULD END UP IN COURT AND WHEN YOU GO TO COURT, YOU FIND THE REDDEST COUNTY YOU CAN TO FIND A FRIENDLY JUDGE TO HELP YOU OUT AND THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENED.

>> TO BE FAIR, JEFF, YOU MIGHT START WITH A JUDGE IN A RED COUNTY BUT IF YOU GET STATE TO'S TOP COURT IN NEW YORK, IT'S ALL JUDGES WHO HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY DEMOCRATS.

SO YOU REALLY CAN'T MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT THIS WAS SLANTED IN FAVOR BY REPUBLICANS JUDGES.

>> WHAT WAS MOST SURPRISING THERE IS THAT THE STATE COURT O.

STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS AND NOT SINCE THE 1960s WHEN ONE PERSON ONE VOTE FIRST STARTED, THE REDISTRICTING REVOLUTION HAVE THE COURTS EVER REJECTED I PLAN IN THE STATE.

>> YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST.

BUT THOSE OTHER CASES WERE UNDER A PREVIOUS DYNAMIC WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND DOESN'T THAT REALLY UPSET THE WHOLE DYNAMIC.

DOESN'T THAT CHANGE WHAT THE COURTS WERE LOOKING AT BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION IN THE CONSTITUTION, WE ALSO HAD LANGUAGE THAT SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT GERRYMANDERING FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES BEING A NO-NO, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT.

AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT INCLUDED ABOUT A HALF DOZEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF CRITERIA, COMPACT, CONTINUITY, POPULATION, EQUALITY, MINORITY VOTING RIGHTS.

AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO PREVENT THE FAVORING OR DISFAVORING OF POLITICAL PARTIES OR CANDIDATES.

THE COURTS ONLY FOCUSED IN ON ONE OF A HALF DOZEN CRITERIA AND THAT WAS TOTALLY SURPRISING.

WE HAVE TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED IN THIS WORLD BUT WHAT THE COURT DID THIS YEAR WAS TOTALLY UNANTICIPATED AND PUTS THE COURTS-- PUTS POLITICIANS ACROSS THE STATE ON NOTICE THAT GERRYMANDERING AS HAS BEEN DONE IN NEW YORK AT THE STATE, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WON'T CONTINUE IF THE COURTS WILL CONTINUE TO KNOCK DOWN WHAT WE SEE NOW, COUNTY, TOWNS, CITY PLANS THAT MIGHT BE CHALLENGED LATER THIS YEAR.

>> MICHELLE WHEN YOU...-- >> I THINK I WOULD ADD THERE WAS POLITICAL BRINKSMANSHIP ON BOTH SIDES THIS YEAR.

I THINK REPUBLICANS PROBABLY THOUGHT FAIRLY THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A BETTER CHANCE IN COURTS.

DEMOCRATS COMPLETELY DISMISSED THAT IDEA.

I I ANY THERE WAS A SENSE WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF FEELING TO JEFF'S POINT THAT THERE WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE COURT OF APPEALS HAD NEVER OVERTURNED A REDISTRICTING PLAN FOR THIS REASON AND SO I THINK THE DEMOCRATS OVERPLAYED THEIR HAND.

YOU RAISE A GOOD POINT.

THIS WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A NOVEL ISSUE.

THE FIRST TIME THE AMENDMENT HAD BEEN UP BEFORE THEM.

FROM A GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUP PERSPECTIVE, I THINK AS REFLECTED IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OPINION, WHEN VOTERS APPROVE THIS AMENDMENT, THEY WERE VERY FOCUSED ON THE PROVISION TO NEITHER FAVOR NOR DISFAVOR INCUMBENTS OR PARTIES OR POLITICAL CANDIDATES AND SO THERE WAS A GAMBLE AND DEMOCRATS DID NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN SO THE IDEA THAT THE COURTS WERE GOING TO BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THEIR CLAIM ON BOTH SIDES DEADLOCKED THE PROCESS AND THAT SAID, BEING A LITTLE BIT OF THE NAYSAYER, THE NEGATIVE NELLIE HERE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF TALKS THAT CAME OUT OF THE PROCESS.

I THINK THE TRANSPARENCY WHICH I THINK DUSTIN AND JEFF ALLUDED TO WAS PHENOMENAL.

WE HAD NEVER HAD THAT LEVEL ACROSS THE STATE.

I THINK WITH RESPECT TO RECORD JUDICIAL REVIEW, MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN IF THE REDISTRICTING HAD BEEN DONE IN BACK ROOMS OR AS IT HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE.

SO BOTH A POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE I THINK GOING FORWARD JUST JEFF IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

THIS PROVISION IS GOING TO BE LOOKED AT AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEAR MUNICIPAL REDISTRICTING THAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE.

SO I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THESE PIECES COME UP MORE.

SO FROM A GOOD GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE, DEFINITELY MORE EXCITED BY THAT.

>> MICHELLE, I WANT TO LEAN ON YOUR GOOD GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE AGAIN.

ANYTHING STAND OUT TO YOU FROM THE LINES THAT WERE CRAFTED BY THE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION OR EVEN BY THE MAJORITIES IN THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE STATE RACES OR FEDERAL RACES THAT SEEMED PROMISING TO YOU?

ANYTHING THAT YOU FOUND ENCOURAGING ANYTHING, ANY ANECDOTES?

WHAT STOOD OUT IN A POSITIVE DIRECT FOR YOU?

>> FROM AN INITIAL PERSPECTIVE IT WOULD BE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.

WE SAW GROUPS, PARTICULARLY OF COLOR ACROSS THE STATE REALLY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS.

TO CALL OUT A.P.I.

VOICES IN NEW YORK DID A GREAT JOB ORGANIZING AROUND IT LATINO JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH DID A GREAT JOB AND I THINK THAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE FIRST SET OF MAPS THAT YOU SAW COME OUT OF THE I.R.C.

PROCESS I WAS IMPRESSED THAT THERE WERE HEARINGS HELD ACROSS THE STATE BEFORE MAPS WERE DRAWN THE FIRST TIME AND AGAIN AFTERWARDS YOU SAW THE CREATION OF THE NEW ASIAN AMERICAN MAJORITY.

THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE PROMISING WE JUST COULDN'T COMPLETE THE PROCESS.

WE COULDN'T CROSS THE LINE AND WITH RESPECT, THE LEGISLATIVE MAP, THE LEGISLATIVELY DRAWN MAP, I THINK THE PARTISAN SKEW WAS DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW AND CONTRAVENTION IN THE WILL OF NEW YORKERS.

THAT WAS MORE CHALLENGING PIECE.

SO YEAH, THERE WERE DEFINITELY UPSIDES AND GOOD THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE REPORT.

SPECIAL MASTER'S FIRST PLAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF PUSH BACK, HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH NEW YORK I KNOW WE NEFF AND OTHERS HAD CONCERN ABOUT THE FIRST ITERATION AND CONCERNS ABOUT THE OTHER DISTRICTS PARTICULARLY NOW THAT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS BETWEEN EAST SIDE AND THE WEST SIDE.

THERE WERE DEFINITELY PROBLEMS WITH BOTH PROCESSES.

>> AND THE WAY THIS COURT CASE PLAYED OUT HAS ACTUALLY CAUSED QUITE A BIT OF PROBLEMS FOR ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS THROUGHOUT NEW YORK BECAUSE INSTEAD OF ISSUING A STAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COURT CASE, PEOPLE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS INFORMATIONAL MAILINGS WENT OUT FROM BOARD OF ELECTIONS TELLING PEOPLE WHERE THEIR LEGISLATIVE LINES WERE, YOU KNOW, WE PREPARED FOR A JUNE PRIMARY FOR EVERYTHING AND THEN IT GOT DELAYED.

AND THEN A SPECIAL MASTER WAS BROUGHT IN LATE INTO THE CASE AND HAD A VERY SMALL TIME PERIOD TO GET PUBLIC INPUT.

SO WE ACTUALLY WENT BACKWARDS IN TERMS OF PUBLIC INPUT THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS THAN WE HAD WITH THE I.R.C.

BECAUSE THE TIMEFRAME FOR HAVING THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS, THEY WERE ALL DONE UPSTATE, NOT DONE DOWN IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CHANGES WERE BEING MADE.

AND I THINK I NEED TO POINT OUT THAT THE CONGRESSIONAL MAP THAT WAS DRAWN BY THE LEGISLATURE WAS PARTICULARLY NOTED IN THE COURT TO BE A PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING BUT THE STATE SENATE MAP WAS NOT.

THEY ONLY THROUGH STLU THAT OUT ON PROCESS ISSUES BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE DREW IT AND NOT THE I.R.C.

AND PROBABLY WILL AFFECT THE ASSEMBLY MAP LATER ON IN THE CASE THAT IS STILL ONGOING THAT JUST WASN'T PART OF THE ORIGINAL CASE SO THEY THREW THOSE ASSEMBLY MAPS OUT AND PUT THEM BACK IN BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE CASE.

IF YOU ARE CONFUSED LISTENING TO THIS, IMAGINE A REGULAR VOTER WHO DOESN'T LIVE AND BREATHE THIS, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE JUST-- THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES ARE.

THEY'VE HAD ONE PRIMARY, THEY'RE ABOUT TO HAVE ANOTHER PRIMARY IN AUGUST AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE LINES NOW ARE.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHO IS REPRESENTING THEM AND WHO IS RUNNING FOR THESE OFFICES SO THIS WHOLE PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN HANDLED IN THE WAY, EVEN IN THE COURT PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IF JUDGE McAL TER WAS GOING TO-- McCALLISTER WAS GOING TO LEAN THIS WAY, I THINK PEOPLE PLAYING HIGH TECH 2020 THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A STAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CASE AND DELAYED THE PRIMARIES AND THE PETITION PROCESS AT THE BEGINNING.

BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

THE PROCESS CONTINUED AND NOW WE HAD TO REINVENT IT HAVING ANOTHER ELECTION AND HAVING ANOTHER ELECTION IN AUGUST AND IT'S JUST BEEN ONEROUS, COST WISE FOR COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS AND CONFUSING FOR THE VOTERS AS WELL.

>> UNLIKE WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO AND ALABAMA WHERE PLANS HAVE BEEN REJECTED BY THE COURTS, ILLEGAL PLANS WERE ALLOWED TO BE USED IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION.

FOR THE FOURTH, FIFTH OR SIXTH TIME THIS YEAR, THE OHIO STATE SUPREME COURT REJECTED THE CONGRESSIONAL PLAN THAT OHIO'S LEGISLATURE DREW BUT ILLEGAL PLANNING CAN BE USED IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION FIGURING AWE NEW PLAN WILL BE READY IN 2024.

IN NEW YORK, THE COURT SAID WE ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW THE LEGAL PLAN TO BE USED THIS YEAR WHICH IS USUALLY THE CASE BECAUSE THE CLOCK IS RUNNING AND THERE IS CONFUSION, THERE IS COST, THERE ARE VOTERS NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON SO NEW YORK REALLY, YOU KNOW, TURNED THE APPLE CART UPSIDE-DOWN.

>> THAT'S TRUE ABOUT THE SENATE AND CONGRESSIONAL MAPS, GOT TOGETHER AND REDREW LINES REALLY FAST BUT THE ASSEMBLY LINES HAVE BEEN IB VALIDATED BUT-- INVALIDATED BUT WE ARE GOING TO PLAY WITH THOSE THIS YEAR.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE?

WE HAVE NEW ELECTIONS IN 2023, WILL THERE BE NEW ELECTIONS IN TWO AS PLAN 2024.

>> I THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY THERE WILL NOT BE NEW ELECTIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL IN 2023 BUT 2024 IS A DIFFERENT QUESTION.

ASSEMBLY LINES WERE NOT CHALLENGED IN THE COURT CASE THAT LED TO THE REDRAWING OF THE SENATE AND CONGRESSIONAL PLAN ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND BECAUSE THE ASSEMBLY LINES WERE NOT KNOWLEDGED ON PAPER IN COURT, THE COURTS COULD NOT REJECT THEM BUT THE STATE COURT OF APPEALS INDICATED IN A FOOTNOTE ON ITS DECISION ON THE SENATE AND CONGRESSIONAL PLAN, BY THE WAY, IF SOMEBODY DID CHALLENGE THE ASSEMBLY LINES NOT FOR WHAT THEY ARE BUT THE WAY THEY WERE ENACTED, GO HEAD AND CHALLENGE SO SHORTLY AFTER THAT DECISION CAME DOWN A WAS FILED IN NEW YORK CITY WHERE THE JUDGE INVALIDATED THE ASSEMBLY PLAN BUT IS SCHEDULING A HEARING NEXT MONTH ON WHAT DO I DO NEXT FOR 2024 ELECTIONS AND THE JUDGE REALLY HAS THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS THE FIRST IS TO APPOINT A SPECIAL MASTER TO LOOK INTO IT AND WITHDRAW THE PLAN, THE SECOND IS HE CAN TAKE THE PLAN IN THE ASSEMBLY ENACTED MAKE IT A COURT APPROVED PLAN SO NOTHING CHANGES AT ALL OR HE MIGHT CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THE INDEPENDENT-- THE ALLEGEDLY INDEPENDENT COMMISSION YOU KNOW, COULD BE RECONSTITUTED AND THEY'RE OUT OF MONEY, OUT OF STAFF THERE BECAUSE WHETHER IT CAN BE RESURRECTED TO COME BACK OR DO SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

BUT WE WON'T BE SEEING NEW ELECTIONS FOR EITHER CONGRESS, THE SENATE OR ASSEMBLY UNTIL 2024.

>> IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE ASSEMBLY PLAN HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

SO THERE IS MORE REASON FOR THE COURT TO ADOPT THAT PLAN AND HAVE LESS CONSTERNATION GOING INTO 2024.

I'M NOT AN ADVISER OF THE COURT AND I'M NOT EVEN A LAWYER SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BATTLE THAT OUT.

BUT AGAIN, THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE LINES, THE ONLY REASON THAT THOSE WERE PROCESSED, NOT GERRYMANDERING, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DID UPEND THE SENATE QUITE A BIT, ESPECIALLY IN ONONDAGA COUNTY, THE TWO SENATE DISTRICTS WERE ALL OVER THE MAP IN ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, DIFFERENT PEOPLE RUNNING AGAINST DIFFERENT PEOPLE BUT ALSO DIFFERENT AREAS.

THEIOIO BACK AND HIGHHIGHYO' YO' BACK AND NORTH YO-YO BACK AND NORTH AND IT'S CONFUSIONING.

>> THE PLANS MADE BIG CHANGES TO THE MAPS ENACTED 10 YEARS AGO.

THE ASSEMBLY MAP WAS THE LEAST CHANGED PLAN.

IT RECOGNIZED EQUAL POPULATION THAT ALL 150 DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE WERE EQUALLY POPULATE WHICH HAD WAS NOT THE CASE IN PRIOR YEARS AND VOTERS ARE FAMILIAR FOR THE MOST PART WITH WHO THE CANDIDATES ARE AND THE LINES THAT THE ASSEMBLY DREW FOR ITSELF REFLECTED THE POPULATION CHANGES AND REFLECTED THE NEED FOR BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

IT DIDN'T GO OUT OF ITS WAY TO KNOCK OUT ANY INCUMBENTS.

>> SO WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING OUR DISCUSSION ON STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS.

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A BREATHER AND CONSIDER REDISTRICTING FROM A GRANULAR LEVEL, SPECIFICALLY THE PROCESS OF CRAFTING NEW BOUNDARIES FOR CITY OFFICIALS HERE IN SYRACUSE.

OUR PRODUCER, MELISSA BENJAMIN, HAS THAT STORY.

>> EVERY 10 YEARS WHEN THE CENSUS IS DONE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT REDISTRICTING.

AND WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT REDISTRICTING IN 20 YEARS AND WITH THE INFLUX OF ALL THE NEW AMERICANS WE KNEW THAT A LOT OF THE DISTRICTS WERE OUT OF WHACK SO WE HAD TO DO OUR CIVIC DUTY AND THAT WAS TO DO THE REDISTRICTING OF THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.

>> I'M MOLLY LIZZIO, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SYRACUSE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.

THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMISSION IS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION LED BY CITIZENS AND TO REDRAW COMMON COUNCIL DISTRICT LINES THE IT WAS VOTED IN A REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT SO THE COMMON COUNCIL GAVE UP THEIR RIGHTS TO DRAW THE MAPS WITH THIS NEW CENSUS CYCLE AND IT WAS PUT ON THE BALLOT AND VOTED YES OR NO.

IT PASSED SO THIS IS HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW I DON'T FEEL THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRAW THEIR CONSTITUENTS.

I THINK THE CONSTITUENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHOOSE YOU SO ITS EVERYDAY PEOPLE FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO DRAW THESE MAPS.

>> I'M A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST SO IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH REDISTRICTING AT ALL I SAW SOMETHING ON INSTAGRAM SO I APPLIED AND HOW IT WORKED WAS THAT THEY TOOK EVERYONE WHO APPLIED AND THEY DREW EIGHT NAMES OUT OF A HAT.

I WAS ONE OF THE RANDOM NAMES OUT OF THE HAT AND THOSE EIGHT PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO PICK SEVEN MORE FROM THE REMAINING POOL THESE ARE 15 VERY DIE-- VERY DIE DIVERSE PEOPLE FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE.

IT'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND MENTALITIES GOING INTO THIS WITH ONE COMMON THREAD THAT THEY ARE ALL CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF SYRACUSE SO THERE IS NOT ANY POLITICAL BIAS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY ABOUT THEM AND WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>> BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED TO DRAW LINES, WE WERE MEETING BECAUSE WE WERE PICKED LAST SUMMER.

AND SO FROM LAST SUMMER UNTIL SPRING WHEN WE STARTED HAVING MEETINGS, WE WERE EDUCATING OURSELVES ON WHAT REDISTRICTING MEANS.

WE WERE HIRING CONSULTANTS BECAUSE NONE OF US HAD EVER DONE THIS BEFORE.

THE WHOLE POINT OF IT BEING INDEPENDENT AND CITIZEN LED WAS THAT THERE WERE NO EXPERTS ON THE COMMISSION AND SO WE HAD MEETINGS WITH COMMON CAUSE, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS ON REDISTRICTING AND GETTING EDUCATION TO COMMUNITIES.

LEARNING LIKE WHAT IS A COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

SO WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME EDUCATING OURSELVES AND DECIDING WHAT MAP SOFTWARE DO WE USE?

HOW DO WE FIGURE ALL OF THIS OUT?

DO WE NEED TO HIRE LAWYERS?

ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO LEARN.

AND THERE ARE QUITE A FEW RULES THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW AS WELL TO DRAW THE MAPS.

THEY HAVE TO GO BY THE CENSUS INFORMATION, THE CENSUS DATA THERE ARE TRACKS AND LOTS THAT CANNOT BE BROKEN UP SO THEY TAKE A LOT OF FACTORS WHEN DRAWING THE LINES AS WELL AS THE POPULATION THERE.

THERE COULD NOT BE A DEVIATION MORE THAN 1500 FROM THE BIGGEST DISTRICT TO THE SMALLEST DISTRICT SO THEY HAD TO BE RELATIVELY EQUAL IN SIZE THE OTHER THING WAS THE SHAPE OF THE DISTRICTS.

WE'VE ALL SEEN MAPS OF LIKE GERRYMANDERING WITH ODDLY SHAPED DISTRICTS WHERE THEY WERE CLEARLY GETTING CERTAIN POPULATIONS OR VOTERS SO OURS HAD TO BE COMPACT AND WOULD YOU WALK FROM ONE SIDE OF THE REDISTRICT TO THE OTHER AND NEVER LEAVE IT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU.

WE MUST HEAR FROM YOU.

>> THE BENEFITS OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WERE THAT WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE DOING RIGHT BY OUR FELLOW CITIZENS THAT WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM WOULD SHOW UP IN THE MAP AND A POINT OF MAKING THIS INCREDIBLY TRANSPARENT SO OTHER REDISTRICTING PROCESSES IN OUR STATE OR OTHER STATES, THEY TEND TO KIND OF HAPPEN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS OR PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE DOING AND HAD A SAY IN WHAT WE WERE DOING AND IT WAS MANDATED BY OUR ORDINANCE.

>> WE HAD NO SAY IN THE REDRAWING FROM THE CITIZEN LED REDISTRICTING COMMISSION.

THEY DREW THE MAPS, THEY LOOKED AT THE MAPS.

WE HAD A GENTLEMAN FROM ONE OF THE COLLEGES IN NEW YORK AND THAT'S WHAT HE DOES.

SO HE HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THE MAPS.

SO AS FAR AS OUR INPUT, NO.

THE ONLY INPUT WE WILL IS WHEN THE MAPS COME TO US TO BE APPROVED, WE CAN VOTE THEM UP OR DOWN.

>> IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR HOPE THAT THIS PROCESS WOULD BECOME A MODEL FOR OTHER REGIONS AND WOULD CONTINUE IN 10 YEARS AND WE HOPE THERE IS A COMMISSION THAT LOOKS AT THE CENSUS DATA AND DOES IT ALE OVER AGAIN.

>> THIS COMMISSION WAS A VOLUNTEER COMMISSION.

THEY DON'T GET PAID FOR IT.

THEY DID IT AS A CIVIC DUTY TO RYE TO HELP US SHAPE THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE LIVE.

>> I THINK IT'S REALLY EASY, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S WORLD, TO FEEL UNHEARD.

AND SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A MUCH LOUDER VOICE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THE LOCAL LEVEL IS WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL THE IMPACT OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE BY POLITICIANS AND SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE A VOICE AND HAVE IT HAVE AN IMPACT IS INVALUABLE.

>> MICHELLE, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU THINK THERE IS ANYTHING IN THAT PROCESS THAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE THAT COULD OR SHOULD BE REPLICATED WHEN DRAWING STATE AND FEDERAL BOUNDARIES MOVING FORWARD?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THE SYRACUSE MODEL IS A REALLY GOOD MODEL.

NEW YORK CITY ALSO HAS A GREAT MODEL.

I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS WE HEARD WITH RESPECT TO THE SYRACUSE PROCESS WHICH COULD BE GREAT FOR REFORMS FOR THE STATE PROCESS IS I LOVE THE WAY THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WERE SELECTED.

ONE OF THE LARGER NEGATIVES OF THE IS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS ARE REALLY APPOINTED BY LEGISLATIVE LEADERS SO HAVE YOU MORE POLITICALLY, AT LEAST EIGHT OF THE 10 WERE POLITICAL SO PLACES LIKE SYRACUSE AND OTHER PLACES THAT COLLECT COMMISSIONERS IN A DIFFERENT WAYS, THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL CHANGE TO OUR PROCESS, TO CREATE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE MUCH LESS TIED OR ALIGNED WITH PARTIES.

ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING GOING FORWARD IS THIS IDEA THAT THE CITY COUNCIL REJECTS OR ACCEPTS THE PROPOSAL SO THERE IS NOT A TINKERING OR FALL BACK.

ONE OF THE MAIN FALL BACKS OF THE 2014 REFORMS WAS THE IDEA THAT I WAS ADVISORY.

ALL YOU NEEDED TO DO WAS VOTE IT DOWN TWICE.

THERE COULD HAVE BEEN POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS FOR VOTING AGAINST BY THE I.R.C.

BUT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD GO BACK TO DOING WAS THEY DID BEFORE.

I THINK WE ARE MOVING THE ABILITY OF THE LEGISLATURE AS A PRIORITY WOULD BE GREAT AS A FALL BACK OPTION AND ABSENT THAT, CODIFYING MORE LIMITS WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO DO.

I DON'T REMEMBER IF THIS WAS RELEVANT FOR SYRACUSE BUT A PRIORITIZATION OF CRITERIA AS JEFF MENTIONED EARLIER.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CRITERIA IN THE 2014 REFORM PROPOSALS I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THOSE WERE PRIORITIZED.

FROM A GOOD GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD PUT EQUAL POPULATION, POPULATION I THINK THERE ARE MEASURES ON THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL TO LIMIT THE LEEWAY CURRENTLY 10% LIMIT.

BUT ON MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES UP TO 5% AND ENACTING LEGISLATION I THINK REDUCED ANY CHANGES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MADE BY THE LEGISLATURE TO 2%.

I THINK LIMITING ANY CHANGES THAT WE WERE UNABLE, IF WE STILL HAD TO HAVE A FALL BACK OPTION, LIMITING THE ABILITY OF THE LEGISLATURE TO CHANGE THE CONTOURS.

THE OTHER THING THAT I FOUND CHALLENGING IS REALLY THE IDEA THAT WITH THE I.R.C.

PROCESS THERE, WAS STAFF AND EXPERTS ON EACH SIDE THIS GOES ON WITH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

NO OFFENSE BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S THE BEST USE OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES.

AND I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S USED IN CLAB RACE.

IF EACH GROUP HAS THEIR OWN STAFF AND MAPPER, IT PROBABLY IS NOT THE BEST SETUP ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WOULD SAY IS TONS OF TRANSPARENCY.

I LOVED THE SYRACUSE PROCESS WITH OPEN MEETINGS.

WE ARE IN A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT.

YOU ARE IN A HYPERPARTISAN ENVIRONMENT BUT WE ARE IN AN ERA OF MUCH BETTER DATA.

THE REDISTRICTING THAT WENT ON IN 2012 LOOKS ALMOST STONE AGED TO THE REDISTRICTING THAT GOES ON TODAY: SO HAVING DONE THE MAPPING.

IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT DIRECTIONS THAT ARE GIVEN TO MAPPERS REALLY MATTER.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY COMMISSIONS THAT ACTUALLY DO THEIR MAPPING IN PUBLIC, BUT REALLY KIND OF KNOWING MORE OF THOSE INPUTS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND WOULD CREATE AN EXCEPTIONAL RECORD FOR REVIEW LATER.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE BIG PIECES THAT I WOULD THINK OF AS AN INITIAL MATTER.

>> >> IT SHOULD BE NOTED BOARDS OF ELECTIONS ARE NOT INVOLVED IN REDISTRICTING.

WE JUST CLEAN UP THE MESS AFTERWARDS.

>> I THINK SHE WAS TAKING A SHOT AT YOUR BIPARTISAN STRUCTURE.

>> I UNDERSTAND THAT BUT REALLY IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

AND BUT WHAT I DO LIKE ABOUT THE SYRACUSE PROCESS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I ADVOCATED FOR HERE IN SYRACUSE.

SYRACUSE IS MY HOMETOWN, IT IS THAT THE CITY OF SYRACUSE COMMON COUNCIL TOOK A VERY BRAVE STEP IN TAKING THEMSELVES OUT OF THE PROCESS.

THEY DID NOT HAVE TO DO THIS.

AND THEN THEY PUT IT BEFORE THE VOTERS TO SEE IF THEY WANTED IT DONE.

AND 75% OF THE VOTERS VOTED FOR THIS REFORM.

AND NOW WE ARE COMING TOWARDS THE END OF IT.

IT HASN'T BEEN FRAUGHT WITH POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, MACHINATIONS.

ALL THEY'VE DONE IS TO TAKE INPUT FROM THE CITIZENS AND THE CITIZENS ARE DECIDING WHAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE AND WHERE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE AND WHO SHOULD REPRESENT THEM INSTEAD OF THE POLL SIGNIFICANTSES DECIDING WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS THEY WANT TO REPRESENT.

FLIPPING THAT ON ITS EAR WITH THE SYRACUSE REFORM IS A MAJOR THING WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN THE STATE AND OTHER AREAS.

>> I WANT YOU TO BE OUR DEBBIE DOWNER FIRST FOR A SECOND THOUGH, WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING THE SYRACUSE MODEL ON THE STATE LEVEL?

LET'S ASSUME THAT STATE LAWMAKERS AND THE GOVERNOR WANTED TO IMPLEMENT THIS MODEL.

COULD IT WORK AT THE STATE LEVEL?

ARE THERE CHALLENGES, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH SCALING SOMETHING LIKE THIS UP FOR AN ENTIRE STATE WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IMPLEMENTING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> THE BIG QUESTION WHAT IS WOULD THE LEGISLATURE DUE DO TO SERIOUSLY CHANGE THE WAY REDISTRICTING IS UNDERTAKEN IN THE STATE?

THAT WOULD MEAN ONE OF TWO THINGS.

EITHER REFORMING THE PROCESS CONSIDERABLY.

GIVING THE LEGISLATURE FINAL APPROVAL WHICH WILL COME UNDER HEAVY CRITICISM OR CREATE AN ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT PROCESS WHERE A COMMISSION WOULD BE IMPANELED TO DRAW THE LINES NOT SUGGEST TO LEGISLATIVE OR GUBERNATORIAL APPROVAL AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL TAKE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT SO IT WILL BE A MULTIYEAR PROCESS BUT I KNOW THAT THIS PROCESS, YOU KNOW WILL UNFOLD, THAT THERE WILL BE DEBATE AFTER NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR TO SEE HOW WE NOT LET WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST YEAR HAPPEN AGAIN AND NOT REVERT TO WHAT WENT ON BEFORE 2014 BY LETTING THE LEGISLATURE DO IT BY ITSELF.

>> DO YOU THINK A CITIZEN-RUN EFFORT COULD WORK ON A STATE LEVEL IN A STATE THAT HAS 19 MILLION PEOPLE, SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN SYRACUSE BY ITSELF, COULD YOU HAVE A CITIZEN RUN PRODUCT THAT WOULD PRODUCE THE KUMBAYA MOMENTS.

>> CALIFORNIA IS A BIGGEST STATE THAN NEW YORK IS.

AND CALIFORNIA HAS HAD TWO DECADES OF AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION DRAWING CONGRESSIONAL, STATE SENATE AND STATE ASSEMBLY LINES.

IT'S A COMMISSION WHERE INDEPENDENT MEMBERS ARE CHOSEN SIMILAR TO THE WAY THEY'RE PICKED IN SYRACUSE WITH NO INVOLVEMENT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS EXCEPT A VERY LIMITED WINDOW TO REJECT A FEW PEOPLE IF THEY NEED TO BUT IT HAS WORKED VERY WELL IN CALIFORNIA.

DEMOCRATS WERE CONCERNED HAVING BEEN IN THE MAJORITY PRIOR TO THE AMENDMENT BUT IT HAS BEEN AN EQUITABLE PROCESS WHERE THERE HAS BEEN HARDLY A LAWSUIT AFTER 2010 OR 2020.

MICHIGAN ALSO PASSED A PROCESS THROUGH A REFERENDUM AREN'TLY.

CALIFORNIA AND MICHIGAN HAVE VOTER INITIATED REFERENDA.

WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE WHICH MAKES IT TOUGHER BECAUSE HAVE YOU TO GO THROUGH TWO SEPARATELY ELECTED LEGISLATURES BUT WE HAVE SEEN THE PROCESS WORK WELL IN CALIFORNIA AND MICHIGAN AS TWO EXAMPLES.

>> I HAVE A FEELING THAT SOME OF THE LEGISLATURES THE INDEPENDENT LEGISLATURE REPRESENTATIVES THAT HAVE LIVED THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING MAY BE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT WAY AND THINKING ABOUT TAKING THEMSELVES OUT OF IT.

IS IT A MAJORITY YET?

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT IF WE HAVE A WORKING PROCESS HERE IN NEW YORK IN SYRACUSE, AND WE SEE CALIFORNIA AND WE SEE MICHIGAN, AND WE SEE ARIZONA AS WELL.

THEY ARE INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING ON THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL AND IT'S WORKING IN THESE STATES AND WE HAVE THESE MODELS?

WE AT LEAST GET TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURES AND IT DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE THAT GO TO THE LEGISLATURES AS WELL AS SAY THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.

PUT IT ON THE BALLOT SO WE CAN CHOOSE.

>> I'VE ALSO MENTIONED AS WE ARE SPEAKING, THE A PROCESS UNFOLDING IN ALBANY COUNTY WHERE THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS OF THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE APPOINTED A COMMISSION BUT THAT COMMISSION WAS NOT TAKING INCUMBENCY OR MEMBERS HOME ADDRESSES INTO CONSIDERATION.

IT'S A PLAN WHERE THEY HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBER OF MINORITY DISTRICTS IN ALBANY COUNTY SO THAT'S PLAYING OUT STEP BY STEP PRETTY WELL SO FAR.

THAT COMMISSION PLAN ALSO GOES TO THE ALBANY COUNTY LEGISLATURE FOR APPROVAL.

BUT IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

>> I WILL BE THE DEPEND DEBBIE DOWNER.

AS MUCH AS I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE REFORM I THINK IT WILL TAKE AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT GROUPS, PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, BECAUSE I JUST DON'T SEE THE LEGISLATURE REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A HUGE INCENTIVE TO CHANGE THE PROCESS AND SO UNTIL THE POLITICAL BALANCE SHIFTS THIS HAS TO COME THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE FIRST I HAVE A REAL CONCERN THAT ABSENT A CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL COMPETITION THIS MAY BE DIFFICULT REMEMBER THE PEOPLE, NOT ALL OF THEM WERE IN FAVOR OF THE 2014 REFORMS BUT THIS IS A PACKAGE THEY APPROVED AND SOME MEMBERS WERE LETTING THE LEGISLATURE OFF THE HOOK A LITTLE TOO MUCH.

THEY DEFINITELY HAD A ROLE TO PLAY ON BOTH SIDES I WOULD ARGUE IN HOW THE PROCESS PLAYED OUT THIS TIME AND I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER SIDE HAS YET SEEN THE BENEFIT OF CHANGING THE SYSTEM AND THAT WOULD BE MY CAVEAT OBJECT SENT MORE PUBLIC GROUND SWELL AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT BUT IT IS A CHALLENGING ROAD BECAUSE I KNOW JEFF AND OTHERS BEFORE ME WORKED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS ON THIS KIND OF REFORM AND IT TOOK A REALLY LONG TIME TO GET TO THIS POINT.

SO I AM-- WOULD I LOVE TO SEE A CHANGE.

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT JUST THE CONSTRAINTS WITHIN NEW YORK AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE CHANGE WOULD HAVE TO OCCUR.

>> I'LL BOTH DISAGREE AND AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT WILL TAKE A MAJOR EFFORT TO CHANGE THE WAY REDISTRICTING IS DONE IN NEW YORK BUT I THINK THIS IS THE ONLY THE SECOND YEAR IN THE DECADE.

A YEAR WHERE EVERYTHING WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN SO I THINK THERE IS MORE OF A WILL AND FOCUS OF THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT A SERIOUS WAY TO CHANGE THE PROCESS.

I THINK WILL YOU FIND MORE UNITY IN REFORM GROUPS IN VOTING RIGHTS GROUPS TO COME TO A CONSENSUS.

ALSO WE HAVE SEEN A HUGE TURNOVER IN THE MEMBERSHIP IN BOTH THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY WITH NEWER MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT TIED DOWN TO THE OLD WAYS, SO TO SPEAK.

>> I ALSO THINK THAT MANY OF THE LEGISLATORS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE COURT DRAWN PROCESS WITH THE MAPS THAT FINALLY CAME OUT OF THE COURT DRAWN PROCESS.

AND SO THERE IS INCENTIVE TO GET OUT OF THE COURT DRAWN PROCESS AND HAVE A MORE PUBLIC DRAWN PROCESS BECAUSE IT WILL BENEFIT THEM DIRECTLY THEY WON'T WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND REALIZE THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTING A DIFFERENT PART OF THEIR WHOLE STATE THAN THEY REPRESENTED FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS BECAUSE OF A DECISION, WELL INTENTIONED BUT ONE PERSON, SPECIAL MASTER MAKING THE DECISION BECAUSE THE PROCESS IN PLACE NOW IS DESTINED TO GO TO COURTS AND DESTINED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MASTER.

>> IF WE DON'T CHANGE THE PROCESS.

WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SEE ANOTHER COURT CASE AND INDEPENDENT MASTER COMING IN 10 YEARS AND NO GUARANTEE THAT A SPECIAL MASTER WILL COME FROM NEW YORK STATE.

COURTS LOOK TO THE MOST IMPARTIAL PERSON THEY CAN FIND TO DRAW THE LINES.

WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PLEASED WITH THIS YOUR'S SPECIAL MASTER'S PLAN BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT 10 YEARS FROM NOW EITHER.

>> SO MICHELLE, WHEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC LOOKS AT LEGISLATIVE BOUNDARIES, THEY'RE PRIMARILY LOOKING AT IT IN TERMS OF WHAT SORT OF SHAPES AM I SEEING.

THIS DISTRICT HAS A LOT OF SQUIGGLE LINES.

IN REALITY, MAP MAKERS TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT INTERESTS.

THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT COMPACTNESS, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT LINKING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT MINORITY REPRESENTATION AND THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS.

AND SOMETIMES THE FACTORS ARE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER.

SO AS A GOOD GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, HOW DO YOU THINK MAP MAKERS IN THE FUTURE SHOULD GO ABOUT TRYING TO BALANCE THOSE INTERESTS?

AND, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THERE ONE INTEREST THAT YOU THINK OUTWEIGHS THEM OWL?

ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL FOR THE TOLKIN FANS.

>> TO PICK MY FAVORITE AMONG MY CHILDREN, DAVID?

I THINK FROM-- FIRST IS POPULATE LAYINGS EQUALITY.

FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL MAPS THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DRAW ONE PERSON.

HAVING DRAWN MAPS IT IS A RIDICULOUSLY CHALLENGING PROCESS BUT MUST BE DONE AND I THINK MOST VOTERS UNDERSTAND THAT.

THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THAT MY REPRESENTATIVE SHOULD REPRESENT THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NEXT DISTRICT.

THAT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

TO THE LEAGUE AND TO ME PERSONALLY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT MAKING SURE THAT RACIAL LANGUAGE MINORITY GROUPS HAVE THE ABILITY TO ELECT CANDIDATES OF THEIR CHOICE AND ALSO PROHIBITION ON PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING.

IMPACTING IS IMPORTANT BUT LESS IMPORTANT BECAUSE HAVING BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS, THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS THAT SOMETIMES DISTRICTS DON'T LOOK PERFECTLY SQUARE OR EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AND THOSE ARE VERY GOOD REASONSES.

LEGISLATE REASONS WE DECIDED OUTWEIGH HAVING EVERYONE IN A SMALL AREA THE ABILITY OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND LANGUAGE MINORITY COMMUNITIES TO ELECT OF THEIR CHOICE COMES THE ABILITY OF THE COMPACT...

SO I WOULD SAY THE SAME GOES FOR PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING AND PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING AND EQUAL POPULATION, I THINK THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT THE PUBLIC CAN UNDERSTAND VERY EASILY IRTHINK THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IS MORE DIFFICULT FOR VOTERS BUT IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT SO FOR ME THAT WOULD BE THE TOP THREE WITH POPULATION EQUALITY FIRST AND VOTING RIGHTS ACTS AND THE NEW NEW YORK VOTING RIGHTS ACT.

>> DUSTIN, IN ONONDAGA COUNTY, YOU ARE INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BIG URBAN CENTER WITH SYRACUSE.

THERE ARE SUBURB AN COMMUNITIES AND RURAL PARTS AND YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY RURAL COMMUNITIES, SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO PUT TOGETHER LINES, HOW DO YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BE BALANCED?

DOES SYRACUSE GET PAIRED WITH OTHER UPSTATE CITIES AND YOU JUST HAVE LONG THIN CONNECTION POINTS?

HOW DO YOU THINK ALL THESE INTERESTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED?

>> I THINK IT'S A BALANCING ACT AND I DO THINK THAT SOME OF THE MAPS THAT HAD URBAN CITIES TOGETHER IN LONGER DISTRICTS THERE WAS A REASON FOR THAT BECAUSE IF YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTING URBAN COMMUNITIES, YOU CAN ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF THE URBAN COMMUNITIES OR MORE OF THE URBAN COMMUNITIES OR IF THERE ARE A LOT OF COLLEGE CAMPUS COMMUNITIES AGAIN, ALREADY REASONS FOR THAT BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR OUT OF THE REGIONAL ASPECT OF REPRESENTATION BECAUSE VOTERS DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

VOTERS-- I'M A PRO-VOTER YOU KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO THESE THINGS AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHO MY REPRESENTATIVE IS, WHO IS RUNNING AGAINST THEM, WHAT AREAS THEY RUN IN AND ALSO THESE LONG DISTRICTS MAKE IT HARD TO CAMPAIGN IN.

CUNT REPRESENT THEM-- YOU CAN'T REPRESENT THEM IN BETWEEN THE CAMPAIGNS AND YOU GET A DISCONNECT FROM GOVERNMENT WHICH IS NEVER GOOD SO I AGREE, HAVE YOU TO HAVE A PRIORITIZATION OF, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR DISTRICTS BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GET OUT OF THE REGIONAL ASPECT OF THEM AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE IS SUGGESTING THAT AS WELL.

>> DO YOU THINK FACTORING COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS SHOULD MATTER AT ALL?

BECAUSE WHEN I THINK ABOUT LINKING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST, THAT MIGHT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE VOTERS OF ALL ONE WAY OF THINKING AND YOU ARE GOING HAVE A CANDIDATE WIN 99% TO 1%.

SO DOES THAT MATTER AT ALL?

SHOULD MAP MAKERS KEEP THINGS AT 51-49 AND ANY YEAR THE DISTRICT COULD GO ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AND THE PURPLE DISTRICTS BEING A REAL REFLECTION OF OUR DEMOCRACY?

>> IT'S A BIT OF A BALANCING ACT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU REACH YOUR POPULATION REQUIREMENTS AND VOTING RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED AND COMMUNITIES ARE JOINED IN DISTRICTS AS DUSTIN TALKED ABOUT YOU WANT TO FACTOR IN THE COMPACTNESS AND CONTINUITY, NOT FAVORING OR DISFAVORING PARTIES, WHICH IS HARD TO DEFINE.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE?

I MEAN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS LOOKED AT WHAT IS COMPETITIVE?

WHAT DO YOU DO IN A STATE THAT HAS A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, REPUBLICAN AMEND DEMOCRATIC U.S.

SENATOR, DIVIDED CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION PERHAPS A SPLIT STATE LEGISLATURE CONTROL.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE BUT THERE ARE MEASURES SPLIL SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED TO MEASURE HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

YOU HAVE A BALANCING ACT AND THIS IS A ZERO SUM GAME.

AT ONE POINT ONE PARTY WILL CONTROL AND ONE PARTY WILL BE IN THE MINORITY SO THERE IS NO REALLY ONE SIZE FITS ALL.

WHAT I DO WARN AGAINST IS THE EGREGIOUS SILLY OVER REACHING WE HAVE SEEN WHERE ONE PARTY DRAWS SO MANY DISTRICTS, AN EXAMPLE IS WISCONSIN WHERE THE DEMOCRATS GET 60% OF THE VOTE IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND ONLY 40% OF THE DISTRICTS.

THE REPUBLICANS GET 40% OF THE VOTE AND 60% OF THE DISTRICTS.

THAT IS AN OVER REACH.

INDICATE WAS LITIGATED BUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT SAID WE DON'T KNOW WHEN GOING TOO FAR IS GOING TOO FAR AND THEY CALLED THE MATHEMATICAL MODELS.

SOCIAL GOBBLEDYGOOK.

BUT OTHERS HAVE SAID MINORITY PARTIES ARE TO BE GIVEN RESPECT AND EQUALITY AND YOU CANNOT RECOVERY REACH ONE PARTY WILL END UP WINNING CONTROL BUT YOU CAN DRAW THE DISTRICTS IN A MUCH FAIRER WAY WHERE REPRESENTATION MATTERS OVER POLITICS.

>> AND DUSTIN, WHAT ABOUT A TIMELINE FOR REDISTRICTING MOVING FORWARD?

THIS WHOLE PROCESS WAS VERY YOU-- VERY UNIQUE BECAUSE NOT ONLY THE CENSUS PROCESS BUT THE LEGAL CHALLENGES TO THIS THAT CREATED DELAYS.

SO FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS SOMEONE WHO ADMINISTERED ELECTIONS, WITH WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE LINES FINISHED AND YOU CAN DO YOUR MAP WORKING AND ADMINISTRATION OF THIS.

>> SINCE WE MOVED TO JUNE PRIMARIES IN NEW YORK, MARCH WHRS WE ARE STARTING TO PUT PEOPLE ON THE BALLOT.

WE NEED MAPS SLEFERL WEEKS AT LEAST, MAYBE A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE, DARE I HOPE, TO BE ABLE TO DRAW THE DISTRICT WHERE PEOPLE CAN WALK IN PATRIOTS AND GET ON THE BALLOT.

SO I HOPE WHEN 2030 COMES AROUND THAT WE HAVE A WELL RUN CENSUS THAT'S PART OF THE ISSUE HERE, NOT A PANDEMIC BUT THAT WE GET THE DATA IN A DECENT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE CAN HAVE MAPS DONE AT THE END OF TWAP FOR THE 2022 ELECTIONS.

I DON'T EXPECT THAT UNLESS WE HAVE MAJOR CHANGE IN OUR REDISTRICTING PROCESS AND I HOPE WE LOOK AT THE MODELS THAT ARE AROUND THE STATE OR AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT ARE WORKING WELL AND I HOPE THE MODEL IN SYRACUSE AS WELL TO SHOW IT CAN BE DONE WELL AND AHEAD OF TIME AND SAVE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE GOING TO COURT.

>> MOST COUNTIES AND TOWNS AND CITIES THAT ARE REDISTRICTING THEIR LOCAL BODIES THIS YEAR, ARE DOING SO BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR SO THAT BY THE TIME PETITIONING STARTS FOR NEXT YEAR'S ELECTIONS WHEN THE COUNTIES AND TOWNS HAVE THEIR ELECTIONS, THE COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS WILL HAVE ENOUGH TIME, LOTS OF LEAD TIME TO EFFECTUATE THE PLANS, MAKE IT EASIER TO RUN THE ELECTIONS.

THE NEW YORK STATE LAW THAT WAS AMENDED LAST YEAR TO CREATE CRITERIA RANK CRITERIA POPULATION EQUALITY, MINORITY VOTING RIGHTS, COMPACT, CONTINUITY, ADDED A LINE AT THE END THAT DISTRICTS SHALL BE DEVELOPED IN A WAY TO MAKE IT EASIER TO RUN ELECTIONS MEANING LET'S NOT JUST GIVE THIS TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE.

>> SO MICHELLE, ONLY A COUPLE MINUTES LEFT BUT I'M CURIOUS, AS YOU LOOK AT THE PRIORITIES OF THE LEAGUE MOVING FORWARD, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE A PUSH FROM GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUPS LIKE THE LEAGUE IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR SOME SORT OF OVERHAUL OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS FOR STATE AND FEDERAL LINES, OR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME UNTIL 2030, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAPPEN FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.

>> ABSOLUTELY DAVID.

I THINK JEFF AND DUSTIN BOTH ALLUDED TO THIS WE ARE HAVING INTERESTED IN MOVING THE PROCESS FORWARD AND THE PUBLIC IS MUCH MORE AWARE OF MASS GOING ON RIGHT NOW HOPEFULLY A MOMENT TO CATALYZE PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE TOPIC AND A CHANCE FOR THE LEGISLATURE AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO KIND OF REFLECT ON THE PROCESS AND THINK THROUGH SOME OPTIONS MAT MIGHT BE BETTER.

AS DUSTIN ALLUDED TO, WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO PUSH THIS TO THE END.

IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET THE REFORM PASSED IN 2014 AND I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A COMMISSION STRUCTURE, WHATEVER REFORM MAY BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH JUST SET UP AND FUNDED MUCH EARLIER SO THE EARLIER WE DO IT, SOONER, THE BETTER I GET A SENSE ACROSS GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT IS AN AIM AND INTEREST SHARED BY MANY AND IN TERMS OF THE LANDSCAPE CHANGE SOMETHING WE ARE MORE AWARE OF AND OTHER CONCERNS, RIGHT OTHER LOCAL CHALLENGES PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH RESPECT TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AND OTHER INDEPENDENT LEGISLATURE.

A LOT OF THINGS COMING DOWN THE PIKE THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SO NOW WOULD BE A GREAT TIME FOR NEW YORKERS TO GALVANIZE AROUND CHANGE.

>> MICHELLE, ONE WORD ANSWER HERE ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT 2030?

ONE WORD?

>> OPTIMISTIC?

>> JEFF?

>> I HAVE TO SAY OPTIMISTIC WITH TONS OF CAVEATS.

>> NO,.

>> NO, NO.

>> OPTIMISTIC.

>> DUSTIN THE SAME QUESTION OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC ABOUT 2030 PRODUCING BETTER RESULTS AS A RESULT OF THE NEW PROCESS WE CAN PROUDLY BE TELLING OTHER STATES AND LEGISLATURES ABOUT.

>> I'M ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC BUT READY FOR THE BATTLE.

>> SO THIS HAS BEEN, I THINK REALLY INFORMATIVE IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN NEW YORK SO FAR AND WHERE WE ARE GOING AS A STATE POTENTIALLY BUT WE HAVE ELECTIONS COMPING UP AROUND THE CORNER NOVEMBER EVERYBODY IS CLEAR ABOUT BUT DUSTIN, A COUPLE SECONDS.

AUGUST.

WHAT IS ON THE BALLOT?

>> AUGUST 23 IS THE ELECTION FOR SENATE AND CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES.

AUGUST 13 IS EARLY VOTING STARTING.

ABSENTEE BALLOTING IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS JULY 29.

YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR PARTY, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS.

YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR OR ENROLL FOR THE FIRST TIME, GO TO YOUR LOCAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

THEY WILL HELP YOU OUT AND GET THAT DONE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GO VOTE.

>> UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAD TODAY.

OUR GUEST HAVE BEEN NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL JEFF WEISS ONONDAGA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER DUSTIN CZARNY AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF NEW YORK'S MICHELE LAMBERTI.

SPECIAL SHAWT OUT FOR OUR PRODUCER MELISSA BENJAMIN.

ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE TEAM AT WCNY, I'M DAVID LOMBARDO.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.