As so many corporate and law firm leaders have weighed in on the restrictive voting rights laws in Georgia and Texas, we should be proud of the direction New York is going. We should not forget that voting rights in New York have not always been as robust as they should be, and that more reform is necessary.

Some have compared our state unfavorably with Georgia—arguing that voters in the Peach State would fare even worse if they lived in the Empire State. It’s not true. New Yorkers no longer need an excuse to vote absentee, and this may be incorporated in our state constitution this November. We now have early voting; there is automatic voter registration; we are on the road to a constitutional amendment for Election Day registration; and are proud to have a 30-year old public campaign financing law in New York City, and will soon have one for New York state elections. Of course, it took us too long to get here, but we are moving towards expanding access.