Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
i voted sticker on black background?width=719&height=464&fit=crop&auto=webp
i voted sticker on black background?width=398&height=256&fit=crop&auto=webp
Photo by visuals on Unsplash
Culture > News

Everything You Need to Know about Proposal 1 in NY

Cassidy Burry
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pace chapter.

Proposal 1 can be found on the back of all New York ballots for this upcoming election. With the confusing language and construction of the proposal, it can be hard to understand and interpret. Proposal 1 is a way for New Yorkers to directly decide and vote on amending the state constitution and to protect the fundamental rights everyone deserves. With Nov. 5 right around the corner, understanding every part of the ballot is essential. 

What this proposal is and means

Proposal 1 is in favor of adding anti-discrimination amendments to New York’s state constitution. Once passed, it would label all acts of discrimination against ethnicity, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and pregnancy, as unconstitutional, and New Yorkers would be protected by the law from discrimination if it fits in any of these categories. This would include healthcare and autonomy, meaning the permanent allowance of abortions, while keeping them safe and accessible. 

However, you won’t find the word “abortion” on the ballot at all this year. A New York judge stated last week that he will not force any election officials to disclose that the proposal would protect abortion rights. This means that the need for voters to read between the lines and do outside research is crucial. Many campaign officials say the intent should be very clear and no further discussion is necessary. However, Democrats fought to include the word “abortion” on the ballot so that voters would have a clear understanding of what is being said and how they should vote, but they didn’t succeed. Even Republicans agree that a vague proposal is dangerous and can lead to people not knowing how to vote. It  can also lead people to vote in a way that doesn’t reflect their beliefs. 

After Roe v. Wade was struck down by the Supreme Court in June of 2022, states were given the ability to decide on the restrictions of abortions and reproductive care themselves. The overturning allowed for 21 states to add restrictions or bans to abortion access and care. Even in a state like New York, where these rights seem to be protected, this dangerous ambiguity can make it so they can be taken away at any given moment. Since we cannot predict our future politicians, or what beliefs they hold, securing and protecting these rights now is necessary to keep them in the long-run.  

What Proposal 1 Will Do

Proposal 1 will close loopholes so that in the future, these fundamental rights cannot be taken away. It will permanently protect them for the foreseeable future, and not allow politicians to impose their own beliefs and threaten them in case political stances shift in New York. It will reenact the same protections that Roe v. Wade once offered: protecting our rights at the constitutional level. 

The proposal will allow for more equity within New York, as these rights primarily affect marginalized communities. Currently, New York’s state constitution only protects against racial and religious acts of discrimination – nothing else. The amendment would also allow for past acts of discrimination to be undone and for justice to finally be possible for the victims of said acts. 

How to vote

A vote “YES” would be in favor of adding these fundamental rights to the New York state constitution. 

A vote “NO” would keep these rights out of the constitution,making them not guaranteed, and allowing for future politicians to have control over them. 

Cassidy Burry is originally from northern California and is a current sophomore at Pace University. She is majoring in Communications and Media, with a minor in digital storytelling and journalism, and french studies. This is her second year as a member of Her Campus Pace. Throughout her childhood she has collected various magazines, and Vogue in particular has been a great inspiration in her decision to pursue journalism. Cassidy also writes articles for a nonprofit, SisterLove, based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are the first women’s HIV, sexual, and reproductive justice organization in the southeastern United States. She feels honored to help advocate and educate people on the importance of reproductive and health care rights. These rights are extremely important to Cassidy, and ones she will not stop fighting for. Cassidy loves spending time with kids. Over the summer she is a summer camp counselor, at Camp Winnarainbow. Before that she worked at a school program. That involved taking kids, ages four through seven, to different parks, beaches, and other locations native to northern California. They would focus on teaching the kids the importance of the environment and how to leave it better than we found it. They regularly would clean up the beaches and parks they visited. Cassidy has always had a love for her community and giving back. She spent a large majority of her time in high school volunteering at a kitchen and garden that grew and produced meals for chronically ill people and their family. In her free time she works part time as a barista at a local bakery. Cassidy has a deep love for music ranging from all genres. She was actually named after the song “Cassidy '' by the Grateful Dead. She has found that being named after that legendary band has brought meaningful connections to her everyday life. For the majority of her childhood she played competitive soccer. And now that she is no longer playing herself, she looks forward to the Women’s World Cup every four years. She hopes that women in sports will gain more recognition in the future, and will not be seen as second to men’s sport.