NY voters divided as they prepare to cast their Election Day ballots on Proposition 1

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Proposition 1 has become a hot button issue that has created a firestorm in an already super-charged election cycle. New York Attorney General Letitia James says a "yes" vote on the measure, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment, will protect women's rights, especially when it comes to abortion. "We've got to flip over the ballot and vote for Prop 1 because we do not need politicians to tell us what to do with our bodies. Not now, not ever," James said. Supporters add that the measure will also protect New Yorkers on the basis of gender identity, age and sexual orientation. New York State Sen. Shelley Mayer and her Republican opponent Tricia Lindsay shared their opposing views on the ballot measure on Saturday. "The Equal Rights Amendment protects the right to reproductive care, the right for those with disabilities, the right to protect against age discrimination. Right in the state constitution, it's not there now. We're doing our best, right thing for all New Yorkers by putting it in the Constitution," said Mayer, a Democrat who is running for re-election in Senate District 37. "It is a dangerous amendment, which is going to eradicate parental rights. It's going to remove the guard posts around children and leave them vulnerable. This is not about abortion. Abortion has been legal in New York since 1970," said Lindsay, who hopes to unseat the incumbent Mayer. Proposition 1 opponents also say the amendment would give minors the right to undergo gender affirming surgery without parental consent and would force girls to compete against transgendered athletes who are biologically male in sports. "