Cuomo's office has said another reform — consolidating the federal and state primary elections — will save counties $25 million. The savings, they argue, can be used to fund early voting. But Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY and founding member of the Let NY Vote Coalition, explained that for early voting to be successful there must be funding in the budget.

"While the consolidation of primaries will produce a cost savings as the governor suggests, a cost savings is not the same as direct funding," Lerner said. "Additionally, primaries won't be consolidated until next year even though early voting is slated to begin this November. That would make early voting an unfunded mandate forcing counties to cover the cost."

Consolidating the primaries was necessary because unlike every other state, New York had a separate federal and state primary election. Since 2012, the federal primary for congressional races has been held in late June. The state and local primary has been held in September.

Under the new law signed by Cuomo, the federal and state primary election will be held on the fourth Tuesday in June.