New York Cancels Presidential Primary
Due to COVID-19 Pandemic For the first time ever, Democrats on the New York
State Board of Elections have decided to cancel
the state’s Democratic presidential primary. New York is now the first state to cancel primaries
altogether, as the Republican presidential primary
was already canceled in early March. Other states have chosen to postpone
their primaries and make voting by mail more
accessible amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York
Democratic Party, canceling the June 23 primary
“makes so much sense,” given the current situation. Although congressional and state-level primaries
are still being held that day, canceling the
presidential primary will greatly reduce voter
turnout and, in turn, the need for polling places. In addition, around 20 of the state’s
62 counties have ballots with no contest,
meaning voters in those counties will
now not need to go to the polls. The cancellation of the primary has
been met with fire from Bernie Sanders
and his supporters, as he had hoped to
stay on the ballot and amass delegates. In a statement, Bernie’s adviser, Jeff Weaver, called
the decision a “blow to American democracy.” Jeff Weaver,
via The Hill