POLLING HOURS The times New Yorkers can vote in a primary election are actually different based on where they live.
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Now, as Tuesday’s presidential primaries approach, the Empire State’s woeful record on access to the ballot is at last coming under scrutiny.
According to a 2010 survey by Circle, a quarter of people under the age of 30 who didn’t vote cited having missed the registration deadline or not knowing how to register as the reason for their lack of participation.
First, you must be both a registered voter and registered in the Republican or Democratic Party to vote in the primary on Tuesday.
On the Republican side, voters can choose real estate mogul and reality television star Donald J. Trump, Ohio Governor John Kasich or Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Passionate Sanders supporter Valerie Kelemen also failed to switch in time. “I think that the issue is gaining tremendous momentum all across the country now”, Stewart said.
He’s a progressive who favors Sanders but didn’t know about the deadline to switch his party affiliation until it had passed. NY has a closed primary system in which only voters registered with a particular party are permitted to vote for that party’s races. Under state law, those who don’t aren’t eligible to vote in the primary.
Registering to vote can be an intimidating process and poses bigger hurdles than the act of voting itself.
Individuals who do not qualify to vote by mail-in absentee ballot may still be eligible to vote absentee in person before Election Day beginning no later than May 3, or 12 working days before the election. Through a little-known practice called “fusion” voting, NY allows multiple parties to endorse the same candidate and list them on the ballot multiple times. There’s no voting by mail.
You do not need to present identification at the polling site provided you have given the Board of Elections in advance either the last four digits of your Social Security number or your non-driver or driver ID from the Dept. of Motor Vehicles. “We are here to demand that NY open up the primaries and let all voters vote”.
Just 58 percent of the city’s registered voters participated in the 2012 general election and only 26 percent of registered voters took part in the city’s 2013 general election, when Democrat Bill de Blasio was elected mayor.
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And although Thursday’s rally was highlighting the issues with the current election, advocates said that this is movement that will continue to grow and speak out until necessary changes are made not only in New York State but also nationwide.
