New York Attorney General Tish James is calling for a suspension of in-person voting ahead of the state’s April presidential primary.
James said in-person voting during the upcoming Democratic presidential primary could risk spreading the novel coronavirus. In a statement Sunday, she said “voters shouldn’t have to choose between their health and the right to cast a ballot.”
The Attorney General wants all eligible voters to be sent an absentee ballot for the primary and special elections to be held April 28th. She says the process can be changed using existing state law and executive order.
Earlier this month, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order changing the state’s petition requirements for political candidates in the June 23rd primary elections. The change allowed candidates to obtain only 30 percent of the required eligible signatures to qualify for the ballot.