New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issued an executive order a short time ago allowing the state’s residents displaced by Hurricane Sandy to vote at any polling place.
“It is incumbent upon the State not to let this devastation undermine our democracy, and to actively facilitate the exercise of the fundamental, constitutional right to vote of registered voters who reside in the federally declared counties who have been impacted and displaced by Hurricane Sandy,” stated the order issued by the governor’s office.
The order temporarily suspends provisions of the voting law under authority that allows deviation from provisions if they would “prevent, hinder or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster.”
“Section 8-302 of the Election Law is temporarily suspended and otherwise altered and modified so that a voter seeking to vote by affidavit ballot need not affirm that such voter is duly registered in the election district in which such voter seeks to cast an affidavit ballot if such voter is registered to vote within one of the federally declared counties or New York City,” the order states.
“Section 9-209 of the Election Law is temporarily suspended and otherwise modified so that every board of elections in the State shall transmit the affidavit or provisional ballot of any voter who resides in one of the federally declared counties to the board of elections wherein such voter is registered to vote to be canvassed with other affidavit and absentee ballots for the election district wherein the voter resides.”
Poll workers are also required to provide affidavit ballots and guidance to voters about the executive order.
“The voter’s vote will count for the office of President and United States Senator and it will also count for any other candidate for office and district as well as any ballot initiative that appears on the official ballot in the voter’s home district.”
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