New York has joined a growing list of states to delay primary elections amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was delaying the state’s presidential primary from April 28 to June 23, when the state plans to hold legislative congressional and local party primaries.
“I don’t think it’s wise to be bringing people to one location to vote” on the April date, he said Saturday.
Nearby states Pennsylvania and Connecticut have also pushed presidential primary dates back several months. Both states have rescheduled their elections for June 2, the same date as New Jersey's election.
The governor’s decision came as election commissioners across New York warned they were “risking” their health and safety to meet impending deadlines for testing machines and preparing ballots ahead of the April 28 date.
There's no indication June will be a better to hold elections, but officials say postponing voting even for a few weeks gives them an opportunity to put in place plans to keep the public safe while voting. This includes moving polling places, recruiting backup poll workers and acquiring enough cleaning supplies for voting sites.
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