New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order requiring the state’s election board to send every registered voter an absentee ballot application for elections this summer.
“We still have elections in the midst of all this chaos,” Cuomo said during his press conference on Friday. “We have seen elections held where we have people online for a long period of time. It makes no sense to me to tell people you have to put your life at risk, violate social distancing, to come out and vote. So, we have passed an executive order that said you can vote by absentee.”
He continued, “Today, I am asking the board of elections to send every New York voter a what is called a — automatically receives a postage-paid application for a ballot. If you want to vote, we should send you a ballot so you can vote, so you don’t have to come out and get online.”
The Democrat said that he does not have the authority to mail everyone a ballot direction, which is why the state will only send absentee applications. The state will still have polling places open on Election Day.
“You have both options,” Cuomo said. “You can go to the polls, or you can vote absentee. I don’t know what else anyone could expect you to do.”
New York’s primary elections are set to take place on June 23.
