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
