On September 10, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that he favors election law reform in New York state. See his press release here.

On ballot access, he did not suggest any improvements for candidates petitioning for the November ballot. But he did suggest a reduction in the number of signatures for candidates seeking a place on a partisan primary ballot. He suggests that the number of signature be cut in half, and that independent voters be allowed to circulate primary petitions, and also to sign them.

He also proposes that voting be conducted on weekends, both Saturday and Sunday. This is a very expensive idea for taxpayers, because it would require that election administrators pay rent on polling places for two days instead of one day, and also that polling place officials be paid for two days work, not one day’s work. A better alternative would be no-excuse absentee voting, so that any voter inconvenienced by having to vote on Tuesday could vote by mail or vote in person at an elections office during the weeks before an election.