On January 27, a U.S. District Court Judge in Albany, New York, issued an opinion, setting the date of New York’s 2012 primary for congressional office on the fourth Tuesday of June, which will be June 26 in 2012. The state is free to decide whether to move its primary for state and local office to that date, or to leave it in September. The case is U.S.A. v State of New York, 1:10-cv-1214.
The basis for the decision is that a June date better protects the interest of overseas absentee ballots. The deadline for candidates running in a congressional primary to submit petitions will be April 26. The state hasn’t even drawn the U.S. House district boundaries. It is now somewhat plausible that the legislature will ease the petitioning burden for primary candidates, at least for 2012. Thanks to Tony Roza for this news.
So is NY headed for three primaries this year: April 24 for president; June 26 for federal races and Aug. 18 for state races?
The State Democrats’ want the June date but the Republicans asked for the August date.
I wonder how the taxpayer’s would feel about paying for four voting processes: printing ballots, opening polls, counting votes, etc.
It is time for a different way of running elections.
Now that we have some set primary dates, we still do not have the new redistricting lines for state and federal offices. The legislators’ have produced their maps and the Governor is still standing by his veto threat because he wants an independent commission to draw the new lines. So this process could also go to a judge to draw the new lines. New York will lose two congressional seats due to the 2010 census.
P.R. and Nonpartisan App.V.
ONE election day per cycle.
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How soon before Fed judges totally take over the election law codes in the States ???
#2
once a state (say GA) decides to keep ineligible POTUS candidate(s) off primary ballot the case(s) will be “removed” to federal court — or at least attempted.
The state legislative task force has completely screwed this one up, but they had no choice. The State Assembly and Senate lines have been published in the last couple days to unanimous criticism and/or condemnation, and it’s been said that congressional lines will be published in the next two to three weeks. The problem of course is that the congressional lines have to come with a handshake agreement between the two parties’ representatives, while the Republicans drew the Senate lines alone as did the Democrats with the Assembly lines. And the Governor continues to promise a veto. If anyone thought the “dysfunction in Albany” was over, you need to reconsider.
#4
why not run for NYS Assembly on a redistricting reform agenda? — some of us will/may soon announce and do likewise — at least for litigation standing purposes.
#5, Can we construct a common platform on redistricting reform, and ballot access?