The Presidential Primary in New York State was moved from April to June because of the COVID-19 crisis. Now that all but one Democratic candidate have dropped out of the Democratic race, is there a need for a New York Democratic Presidential Primary?
Even though New York State is under a Pause Order by Governor Cuomo until May 15th above is the schedule for the Board of Elections petition hearings on Enrollment Issues, CRU Prima Facia Report, and Legal Prima Facia Issues beginning Tuesday April 21st. What that means is more hurdles for challengers to jump
Some candidates I spoke to said they never received any notice from the Board of Elections. If that is true many candid over in order to make it to the ballot. After all that the Specifications of Objections will be heard. April 17th was the final meeting of the Cover Sheet Review Committee and Board Legal Department.
Mind you during the Commissioner's of the Board of Elections Cover Sheet and Petition review with the Legal Department of the Board of Elections said that the petition process was rushed this year being cut short by the Governor. They had meetings where candidates were given only three days to fix any deficiencies found on petitions. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz of the Bronx had complaints of his constituents not receiving mail for up to two weeks at a time, with up to half of the USPS workers calling in sick depending upon the Zip Code one lives in. ates may have a very good class action law suit against the Board of Elections to halt the June 23rd Primary which the board seems to be rushing to get done. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has cancelled all permits for events in May, and now June. Schools will be closed until September, and Governor Cuomo is worried about a possible second wave of infection if New York rushes to open to soon.
There is also the time frame needed to train the poll workers, and the possibility of putting the elderly and other poll workers in jeopardy of catching COVID-19 in the sometimes small areas where voting is cast. The only sensible decision by Governor Andrew Cuomo would be to cancel or move the New York Presidential Primary, and move Primary day to September when the threat of COVID-19 will be much less, and school buildings will reopen.
