New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has moved forward with prioritizing the placement of the state’s new gambling proposal scheduled for the November ballot. He, and others, believe that placing the proposal on the top of the upcoming ballot will help to get it passed.
In November, NY voters will vote on whether or not to approve a new state constitutional amendment. If passed, this amendment will allow four Vegas-style casinos to be created in upstate New York, one of which is believed to be located at the Saratoga Casino and Raceway.
Generally, new propositions are positioned on the ballot in sequence as they were approved by the state’s legislature. This time, however, six measures are to be placed on the November ballot at the top. It has been remarked that several casino proponents, as well as Governor Cuomo, want these gaming propositions listed first so that people who are voting will see them.
According to state Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mt. Hope, chair of the Senate Racing, Wagering and Gaming Committee, “When it (the ballot) comes out, it will be No. 1.” He went on to say that there will be marketing campaign that urges state residents to “Vote No. 1.”
It should be noted that he represents the Catskills area, which may get two full-scale casinos if the propositions are passed.
Also, in addition to the above, there are plans calling for voting booth attendants to speak to voters and remind them about the propositions just before they will cast their ballots. The new propositions are to be listed on the back of the paper ballots which voters fill out. It is a known fact that voters often forget to fill out both sides of the ballot. Officials who are running for public office will be posted on the front side of the ballot.
Gambling proponents are also concerned of light voter turnout because there are no big statewide races coming up this November. These ballot plans are not the only things that the state is doing as they try to get these casino proposals approved by voters.
One reason for this effort is that neighboring states who also have casinos will try their best to lobby against the new measures. Any new casinos in New York will, of course, have an impact on their businesses. Casinos in both New Jersey and Connecticut have already seen downturns financially. The amount of money that is expected to be used to lobby against the new proposals will be large, experts suggest.
Should the new proposals fail to be approved by voters, the state may still install video gaming machines at state non-racetrack locations. Also, if the proposals are defeated, they will not be brought up again, at least not in the near future. It is not clear at this time how or when those who may be opposed to the new proposals will being their lobbying efforts, but those efforts are expected to begin soon, and expected to be most aggressive in those areas that are closer to state borders who have competing casinos.