Assemblyman Andrew Molitor

There are few rights more fundamental to the American experiment than the right to vote. It is the quiet power placed in the hands of ordinary citizens, the power to choose their representatives, hold their government accountable and determine the course their communities and their country will take. However, those who do not use their rights cannot make their voices heard. The numbers before us should draw our attention. As of Feb. 20, 2026, Chautauqua County has 79,724 active registered voters.

We already know New York has been losing more people than it has been gaining, and we know that New York is on a never-ending spending spree with our money, but now we know that New York has been steadily losing not just people, but specifically taxpayers, since 2015. The stunning report, recently released by our current state comptroller, very clearly shows New York has been suffering a net loss of taxpayers since 2015.

America's 250th birthday is a special anniversary in the history of our nation; the success of this great experiment should be celebrated and, this year, I would encourage you to reflect on what it is that has made America so special. Alexis de Tocqueville, a political philosopher who studied and toured America in the 19th century, once commented that America's culture of voluntary association is one of our nation's greatest strengths.