Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he will issue an executive order that extends the deadline for school districts throughout the state to receive absentee ballots through the mail one week from June 9 to June 16.
The move, Cuomo said will hopefully allow for more flexibility for voters throughout the state and allow everyone’s vote to be counted despite the in-person restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Extending the deadline to submit absentee ballots builds on our previous Executive Orders to make it easier for New Yorkers to vote absentee in the upcoming primary election and it will help to increase voter participation as we continue to fight this virus,” Cuomo said on Sunday.
On May 1, Cuomo issued an executive order to push back the school district elections from their initially-scheduled May 13 date until June 9, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world, and while we are making great progress and the numbers keep going down, no New Yorker should have to choose between their health and their right to vote,” Cuomo said.
Additionally, Cuomo extended the deadline to submit absentee ballots for the congressional primary races until the day of the election on June 23. To be counted, the absentee ballots for the primary must be postmarked by June 23, state officials said.
Cuomo previously issued executive orders allowing all New Yorkers to vote on an absentee basis in the June 23 primaries and ensured every registered voter throughout the state received a postage-paid absentee ballot application in the mail.
Nassau County Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello and Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin both asked Cuomo last week to permit in-person graduation ceremonies that maintain proper social distancing measures.
“I am asking that the Governor allow outdoor graduations to proceed with appropriate restrictions, including social distancing, face coverings, and limitations on the number of family members attending,” Nicolello said in a statement. “Our school communities can safely honor the achievements of our students with outdoor ceremonies.”
“Our community’s students deserve to receive the recognition they worked so tirelessly for during their academic careers,” Clavin wrote in his letter to Cuomo on June 4. “For this reason, I call on you to allow schools, colleges, and universities to host graduation events if their respective administrators determine they are able to host a ceremony while safeguarding the well-being of attendees.”
