Nick Reisman is reporting for the State of Politics blog the state Senate January 9, approved a new batch of election law bills intended to make voting easier in New York. “Voting is the bedrock of democracy. We must do more to help eligible New Yorkers participate in the political process and have their voices heard,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, noting the measures passed built on the legislation approved during the previous session. One bill would create a system of automatic voter registration when a person interacts with the state Department of Health and Department of Motor Vehicles. A second bill requires that early voting polling stations be located in population centers. This measure was proposed after Rensselaer County did not put an early voting polling site in Troy last year, during the state's first early voting period. The Democrat-controlled Senate also voted to require polling locations be located on the grounds of colleges and universities when there are 300 or more registered voters. Lawmakers also approved allowing state and local transportation departments to provide voter registration and Election Day information. Read the full story at NYStateofPolitics [dot] com.