New York Cancels Presidential Primary<br />Due to COVID-19 Pandemic For the first time ever, Democrats on the New York<br />State Board of Elections have decided to cancel<br />the state’s Democratic presidential primary. New York is now the first state to cancel primaries<br />altogether, as the Republican presidential primary<br />was already canceled in early March. Other states have chosen to postpone<br />their primaries and make voting by mail more<br /> accessible amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York<br />Democratic Party, canceling the June 23 primary<br />“makes so much sense,” given the current situation. Although congressional and state-level primaries<br />are still being held that day, canceling the<br />presidential primary will greatly reduce voter<br />turnout and, in turn, the need for polling places. In addition, around 20 of the state’s<br />62 counties have ballots with no contest,<br />meaning voters in those counties will<br />now not need to go to the polls. The cancellation of the primary has<br />been met with fire from Bernie Sanders<br />and his supporters, as he had hoped to<br />stay on the ballot and amass delegates. In a statement, Bernie’s adviser, Jeff Weaver, called<br />the decision a “blow to American democracy.” Jeff Weaver,<br />via The Hill
