New Yorkers Support Mandatory Voter ID, Proof of Citizenship in Siena Poll

A majority of New Yorkers support proof of citizenship for voter registration and mandatory photo ID when casting a ballot, according to a new poll from Siena Research Institute.

Republicans in Congress are backing sweeping election overhaul legislation that would institute these requirements, which are a top priority for President Trump.

Of the New Yorkers who participated in the Siena poll in late March, 54% supported those provisions.

But there was a significant partisan divide on the issue.

“By a nearly 20-point margin, Democrats oppose this idea, but 82% of Republicans and 63% of independent voters support it,” said Siena pollster Steve Greenberg. “So you put that together, and what you find is there is strong support.”

Greenberg said he was surprised by the response to another poll question.

It asked voters if actions should be taken against journalists who publish information that is critical of the president or the president’s policies.

Forty percent of Republicans said “yes,” but they weren’t alone in their approval of the idea.

“One out of every five Democrats, one out of every five independent voters in the state, say it’s okay to go after the media if they are critical of the president,” Greenberg said.

The poll also showed voters across the political spectrum (74% Democrats, 51% Republicans, 61% independents) were in favor of Congressional approval before a president can start a war.

The same Siena poll showed a 7 point drop in incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul’s lead over Republican Bruce Blakeman in the New York governor’s race in the last month.

“Three quarters of Democrats are still with Hochul,” said Greenberg. “More than three quarters of Republicans are still with Blakeman, but independents shifted a little bit.”

Hochul’s job approval rating was 52%, similar to February’s poll, while 40% disapproved of the governor’s performance.

Image: “Vote Here” signs outside St. Theodore’s Church on Spencerport Road in Gates, NY, which was an early voting polling site in the 2024 general election. (Denise Young/WXXI News)