LITTLE VALLEY — After initially being canceled, the New York Democratic presidential primary is on again — June 23.
The state Board of Elections had been given the power to cancel the primary if all but one of the candidates had suspended their campaigns.
That was the situation two months ago when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dropped out and later endorsed Joe Biden.
Not so fast, said Andrew Yang, who had long ago dropped out of the presidential primary.
He filed suit to force the primary at a time when most Democrats seemed OK with not having to go to the polls for a meaningless primary in the days of COVID-19.
Sanders joined the suit, saying when he suspended his campaign, he intended to stay on the ballot.
On May 19, a federal appeals panel upheld the May 5 federal court ruling that the state Board of Elections had exceeded its authority in cancelling the Democratic presidential primary.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had ordered the county boards of election to send applications for absentee ballots to Democratic voters. If they are concerned about going into a polling place during the coronavirus pandemic, they may request an absentee ballot.
There are some Republican and Libertarian primary contests as well as the Democratic presidential primary.
That means the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections will be sending out 12,730 Democratic primary ballot applications, as well as for a handful of Republican and Libertarian primary contests.
Republican Election Commissioner Cortney Spittler said the primary ballot application will come with a postage paid return envelope.
The application is good only for the primary, Spittler said. “If you also require an absentee ballot in November’s general election you must submit another application after July 1, 2020 to the board of elections,” she said.
The letter accompanying the absentee application states: “You are receiving this letter because your registration record shows that you are eligible to vote in one of the local primaries to be held on June 23, 2020. If you would like an absentee ballot sent to you, please complete the enclosed application, check temporary illness as the reason if you choose to be eligible due to the COVID-19 pandemic and mail it back to the Board of Elections in the postage-paid return envelope.”
Be sure to mail the application back to the Board of Elections prior to June 16 in order to get a ballot by mail. Applications may also be faxed to 938-2775 or scanned and emailed to boe-support@cattco.org.
“Voters who choose not to submit an application for an absentee ballot may still vote in person at their assigned poll site on June 23, 2020 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; or participate in nine days of early voting,” Spittler said.
Kevin Burleson, Democratic election commissioner, said Democratic voters and some Republicans and Libertarians would be getting applications, not actual ballots. They must be returned if the voter wants an absentee ballot. Otherwise they can vote in person on Primary Day or during nine days of early voting from June 13-21.
Early voting will be held at the Board of Elections in Little Valley and at the Magnano Room near the Cutco Theater at Jamestown Community College.
Polls are open Primary Day from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Burleson also said a ballot marking machine for disabled voters who want to mark their own ballot will be located at the Board of Elections office in Little Valley.
“We anticipate a larger use by absentee voters because of the coronavirus pandemic,” Burleson said. “We still have to mail them a ballot and they have to send it back.”
(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)