In an era where corporations, millionaires, and billionaires can pump endless sums of money into our political system, healthy democracy begins with strengthening our local institutions. There is much that Cortland County can do, not only with expanding ballot access but also with upgrading policies and procedures within our county government itself.

What if Cortland County had one of the highest voter turnout rates in New York State? What if our county leaders actively worked to bring more people into our political processes? There is much we can do to improve Civic Fairness in Cortland. As County Legislator, I will:

• Enact election integrity by supporting Election Day Poll Workers with hourly wage growth and flexible work shift requirements, and also push for a non-partisan, citizen-led redistricting process

• Support a minimum of 8 early-voting locations, distributed throughout the county so that everyone, including college students and rural communities, can benefit from early voting

• Promote civic participation and awareness in Cortland County with investments in free civics education classes, social media campaigns, and a paid county internship program

Millions of people, including residents of Cortland County, have fought, shed their blood, and died to defend our democracy. As County Legislator, I will encourage all county residents to participate in our political processes and local government institutions. Civic Fairness eliminate the possibility of political corruption before it ever occurs. Let’s upgrade our county legislature to match our twenty-first century needs.