Sunday, August 16, 2020

NY Elections Administrators Lay Out Immense Challenges Ahead of General Election


After the June 23rd Primary, saw drastic Shifts in how Voting in New York is Conducted, Elections Administrators, State Legislators, and Watchdogs have a Long List of Changes they want to see Enacted before the November General Election. But above all, they want Clarity from Governor Andrew Cuomo (D).

Many of the Key Players in New York City and State Elections Testified at an Oversight Hearing held by both Houses of the Democrat-Controlled Legislature examining the Primary, its Successes and Failures, and Solutions for a Safe and Efficient General Election.

Administrators are Looking at a Logistical Nightmare unfolding at the feet of a notoriously Antiquated and Byzantine Elections System, which typically Conducts 95% of Voting in Person, during a Pandemic and with the Anticipation of Record-Breaking Turnout.

In New York State, 1,027,234 Voters cast a Ballot in Person on Primary Day, and 731,131 Voted Absentee Ballot (38%), according to Testimony provided by the State Board of Elections. Another 118,108 New Yorkers Voted in Person during the 10 Day Early Voting Period, fewer than 50% of the roughly 256,000 Voters who did in 2019, despite there being 17 more Early Voting Poll Sites.

With over 50% of Voters opting to, Vote in Person in June, and the Surge in Turnout expected for the General Election, which will Include the Presidential Race, Elections Commissioners throughout the State are looking for ways to Ensure Proper Staffing amidst a Pandemic that is keeping Voters Home, especially Older New Yorkers who make up a Bulk of the State's Poll Workers.

The Additional Bureaucratic Hurdles of shifting to a more Mail-Oriented Election System, including the Sudden Prominence of the U.S. Postal Service, which is beyond the Authority of State Regulators, meant Tens of Thousands of Ballots were Thrown Out on Technical Grounds and Thousands more were sent out Late by the New York City Board of Elections or Never got Delivered.

Yet despite Recognizing a host of Repeat and New Challenges for the General Election, the Executive Orders that Altered the Primaries have All Expired, and Election Administrators are Proceeding as though its Business as Usual as the Clock Ticks.

There’s a Long List of Voting and Election Reform Bills that have either: Passed Both Houses of the Legislature and Await Gubernatorial Action; have Passed One House and await Action in the Other; or have been Introduced but Not yet moved in either the Assembly or the State Senate.

CLICK HERE for Current Bills.

Cuomo has yet to Sign Legislation or Orders that would Expand Absentee Eligibility again, or Proposals that could Help Voters but also place Additional Burdens on the State and County Boards of Elections, like one that would Require Local Boards to Notify a Voter when their Ballot is Rejected and offer a way to Remedy it.

Invalidating Ballots

- The main Reason more than 80,000 Absentee Ballots were Invalidated in New York City alone was because of a Missing Signature. While Lawmakers and Advocates are Pushing for the Ballot curing Bill to be Signed into Law. The Board of Elections is also looking into ways to Redesign the Ballot Envelope to ensure that Voters provide the Required Signature, which they say is the Only Method they have of seeing that the Right Person Cast a particular Ballot.

- Envelopes Missing Postmarks was another Key reason Absentee Ballots were Thrown Out. The USPS was to Postmark Ballots. The Postal Service Guidelines and Procedures Require Postmarking Election Materials and the Odds of Not getting a Postmark are just as great if you put a Stamp on an Envelope as they are by using the Pre-paid Postage System.

Ballot Logistics

One of the Biggest Logistical Issues Boards of Elections face is that Law sets the Deadline to Apply for an Absentee Ballot at Seven days before the Election, which leaves very Little time to Process them and send a Ballot, much less have the Voter then Return the Ballot in time to be Counted. USPS Guidelines released in July Advise States to leave a 15-day Window for Election Mail. With the Anticipation of a High Volume of Absentee Ballot Applications, the Board of Election is seeking a 15-day Deadline.

In New York City, about 53% of the Applications for Absentee Ballots came through the City's Newly-Established Online Portal.

Funding - Funding is another Big Source of Uncertainty ahead of the General Election.

Additional Costs include Staffing at Poll Sites and Messaging to Promote Early Voting, which was Expanded in June but Under-Utilized. PPE and Additional Poll-Site Precautions to Mitigate the Transmission of COVID-19 are likely to be other Significant Expenses. County Boards are also exploring New Technologies to Sort and Canvass Votes. For instance, the New York City Board of Elections Approved the Purchase of Five Mail-Ballot Sorting and Scanning Machines, at the Cost of roughly $1.5 Million. The New Machines are Capable of Sorting up to 15,000 Ballots per hour.

With the Primary Results taking Six weeks to Fully Count and Certify, many are also worried about how Long it could be before the General Election Results are Tabulated, plus the Results of Court Cases that demanded Counting More Absentee Ballots.

The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Allocated $400 Million to States for Elections, with States Required to provide a 20% Match. New York State received roughly $20.5 Million in CARES Act Funding and State Lawmakers Allocated an Additional $4.1 Million to Local Election Boards. Of the Total Available, County Boards have already spent $12 Million with Three Country Boards having Spent All of their Additional Funding. A Majority of that Spending went towards the Postage on Pre-Paid Absentee Ballot Envelopes.

A typical Election in New York State Costs roughly $25 Million. But with Precautions and Extenuating Provisions being made around the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Costs this year are much Higher. With the Possibility of Mailing Postage-Paid Absentee Ballot Applications in the General Election to roughly 12.6 Million Registered Voters Statewide, the State is looking at a $26 Million Price Tag just for Absentee Ballot Applications.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker


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