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New Deal from New York State Democrats Regarding Voters’ Party Affiliations Voting Deal Proposed by New York Democrats

By Dallas Jackson

90-year-old Chinese American Cy Yen Liu, center, checks her ballot as she waits behind ballot-filling booths at a polling station in Flushing section of the Queens borough of New York, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. Liu, originally from Shanghai, China, immigrated to the United States 50 years ago.
© 2016 (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

(Keir Chapman)
Democrats in the state of New York are coming to a deal regarding voting and deadlines.

Our Dallas Jackson is in the studio with more information and the upcoming primaries.

(Dallas Jackson)

With the deal, voters will have only 60 days before an election to switch their party affiliations.

For voters who are already affiliates, they will have 25 days.

Voters who are not members of an established party will also have 25 days.

Board of Elections Commissioner, Dustin Szarny, says having a later deadline affects voters and results.

(Dustin Czarny)
“Having to do it in October which is sometimes six months before the next primary election. People aren’t thinking about the next election at that point.

So the question still remains of How many days? Who can change? How often they can change? All of that is being decided in Albany right now.”

(Dallas Jackson)
Czarny says New York is a closed primary state and probably will be for the foreseeable future.

He recommends staying up to date on all voting deadlines that might affect.

Czarny also says not to wait for these deadlines to come up, but do what you need to now.

He says once a deadline is missed, there’s no helping you.

Keir and Sunny, back to you.

By Dallas Jackson SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –The New York State Democratic Committee is trying to reach a new deal regarding voting and deadlines.

With the deal, voters would have only 60 days before an election to switch their party affiliations. For voters who already have party affiliations, they would have 25 days. Voters who do not have any party affiliations would also have 25 days.

Onondaga County Board of Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny says having a later deadline affects voters and results.

“Having to do it in October which is sometimes six months before the next primary election.,” Czarny said. “People aren’t thinking about the next election at that point. So the question still remains of  ‘How many days? Who can change? How often they can change?’ All of that is being decided in Albany right now.”

Czarny says New York is a closed primary state and probably will be for the foreseeable future. In closed primaries, only voters who are registered with a particular political party may vote in  that party’s primary.

He recommends staying up to date on all voting deadlines that might affect you. Czarny also says not to wait for these deadlines to come up, but do what you need to now. He says once a deadline is missed, there’s no helping you.

The state’s Democratic Committee is trying to get this deal done. There was no word yet from the state’s Republican Committee on its position on this possibility. It will be up to the New York State Legislature to make a decision.

“Any law that’s going to be changed is going to affect all parties,” Czarny said.

He said enrolling in any party is fairly simple. The deadline to register to vote for this year’s June primary is Friday, May 31.

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