NYC moves to protect domestic violence survivors by making their voter records confidential

A bill that would protect domestic violence survivors by keeping their addresses confidential when they register to vote was expected to pass in the New York City Council on Thursday, and could help boost turnout among survivors.

The measure, sponsored by Manhattan Councilmember Gale Brewer and 22 others, would require the city Campaign Finance Board to work with the city Board of Elections and the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence to develop guidance under state election law to help survivors keep their voting records secret and vote by special ballot.

Voter registration records are publicly available in online databases and include the address where a particular voter may have registered. In an interview with Gothamist, Brewer said that can put them at risk of further abuse.

“ Sometimes, even though you have an order of protection [against] the abuser, the bad news is they often trace you down,” she said. “You have to do everything you can to make sure that does not happen.”

Brewer said she has been trying to push forward the legislation for a while. Its expected passage at a scheduled Council meeting Thursday follows a period of years where local domestic violence homicides have been especially high, with women of color disproportionately killed. City officials said at least 73 domestic violence-related killings were recorded in 2023, a slight uptick from the previous year.

The measure has widespread support from organizations that work with domestic violence survivors, including  the Crime Victims Treatment Center, the Center for Justice Innovation and Voices of Women. Representatives from several of those organizations spoke out in support of the bill at a Council hearing in December.

“The fear of their abuser discovering how they voted hinders survivors from participating in democracy,” said Janine Guzzone, senior development manager at the Crime Victims Treatment Center. “By signing onto this legislation, the City Council can play a pivotal role in ensuring these survivors can vote without compromising their personal safety.”

A number of groups that aim to make voting more accessible for New Yorkers, like the League of Women Voters and the Center for Independence of the Disabled, also testified in support of the legislation.

“Extending voting protections for survivors is an important milestone for New York,” said Susie Gomes, chair of city affairs for the League of Women Voters, adding that the move would “bring awareness and education to this critical issue.”

The bill also seeks to ensure survivors would know how to submit the required paperwork to make their voter registrations confidential and vote by special ballot. It would require the mayor’s office to distribute guides and instructions to family justice centers, which provide services for survivors, and other key locations.

Several city agencies that would be tasked with carrying out the provisions have expressed support for the legislation.

“Protecting the confidentiality of domestic violence survivors’ voter registration information is critical to ensuring their safety,” said Bernie Lubell, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, in a statement.

Jadel Munguia, a spokesperson for the Campaign Finance Board, said the agency fully supported the measure and would work closely with other city officials to implement it.

The bill passed out of a City Council committee Thursday morning and was expected to move to the whole Council for a vote during a legislative meeting in the afternoon.

This story has been updated with additional information.