Changes to NY Primary, School and Local Elections
Recent orders by a federal court and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo lead to the following clarifications and significant changes to upcoming elections
For the June 23 Primaries
▪ Candidates for the presidential primary (and their associated convention delegates) are back on the ballot for the June 23 primary, per a federal court ruling on May 5. (These races had been removed by Governor Cuomo’s earlier executive order.)
▪ For the June 23 primary for federal, state and county offices: Boards of Election will be mailing absentee ballot applications to all voters, who must fill them out and return them to receive the actual absentee ballot. Further, the Boards of Elections will include paid return postage for each absentee ballot.
▪ Absentee ballot requests submitted before these executive orders on absentee voting will still be valid without further action by the voter.
▪ Voting will also occur in person, beginning with early voting on June 13 and day-of voting on June 23.
For the School Board and Budget Elections
▪ School board and budget elections are now scheduled for June 9. They will occur entirely by mail.
▪ All qualified voters will be sent an absentee ballot with return postage paid. Each district will mail postcard notice with details about the date of the election, date of budget hearings, definition of qualified voter, and an absentee ballot. In this case, voters do not need to apply for the ballot.
For Village Elections
▪ All village & town elections scheduled to be held in March, April, May, or June will be held now on September 15, 2020.
Greater Privacy
▪ Boards of Elections must also make available at their offices a voting system that is accessible for voters wishing to mark their ballot privately and independently.
Join Us
The changes mandated under the new orders make voting more accessible, something the League of Women Voters has advocated for decades. Please JOIN US in supporting this important work by renewing your membership.
The League of Women Voters remains committed to keeping voters informed, especially now, when the current health crisis continues to impact our electoral processes.
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You can read the Governor’s full Executive Order here.