November 5, 2024

But New York voters may not actually know that, because Republican groups have been waging a fierce campaign against the measure by focusing on the amendment’s protections for transgender people, threatening that the measure could end women’s sports. Vote No on Prop 1 has spent nearly half a million dollars on ad spots to run during Jets, Bills, and Giants football games, according to the New York Post. In one ad, the group claims the measure will somehow aid in allowing noncitizen voting, which is not only illegal, it hardly ever happens.

And, so far, the advertising and outreach efforts of New Yorkers for Equal Rights have been practically nonexistent, which is surprising for a group that has raised so much money. But that’s because the bulk of their fundraising isn’t going toward voter outreach at all.

While the group had spent $1.3 million by the end of September, nearly $900,000, or 70 percent, went to hiring consultants, fundraisers, pollsters, and other staff. Only $226,000 was spent on direct contact with voters, according to Politico’s review of the committee’s campaign finance reports.