Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY and a founding member of the Let NY Vote coalition, urged the state Legislature to include funding for early voting in their budget proposals.

"We are willing and ready to work with the Legislature to find cost-saving measures like renting electronic poll books as opposed to purchasing them, that would help ease the burden," Lerner said. "New Yorkers deserve early voting that is well-run this November, not another Election Day debacle."

Some estimates suggest implementing early voting will cost at least $25 million. New York election boards have said there will be plenty of upfront costs, such as purchasing electronic poll books to make signing in voters easier, hiring additional inspectors and renting early voting polling locations.

Counties are required to open one early voting polling site for every 50,000 registered voters. The early voting period will run from the 10th day before an election until two days before Election Day.