According to the Albany Times-Union, the board of elections co-chair Doug Kellner said they are very disappointed that the judge had placed an uncontested contest for president above the health and safety of the voting public and the poll workers who would have to administer that election.

The board’s Democratic commissioners had called off the primary late last month after removing all candidates from the ballot except former Vice President Joe Biden. They cited the suspension of all other presidential campaigns, as well as safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, saying that canceling the contest would significantly reduce large crowds at the polls.

But a federal judge in Manhattan ruled late Tuesday that New York must hold the primary on June 23, contending that canceling it would be unconstitutional and take away the ability of the candidates to receive delegates for the party’s convention in August.

The decision came after a lawsuit was brought forward on behalf of former presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang, who argued that it was illegal for New York to cancel the primary.

Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) stands with Vermont Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during the unveiling of the Excelsior Program on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2017.

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to offer free college tuition to low to middle income students in New York.

On Tuesday the governor unveiled the first signature proposal of his 2017 agenda: making college tuition-free for New York’s middle-class families at all SUNY and CUNY two- and four-year colleges.

The governor said New York’s tuition-free college degree program, the Excelsior Scholarship, is the first of its kind in the nation and will help alleviate the crushing burden of student debt while enabling thousands of bright young students to realize their dream of higher education.

“The Excelsior Scholarship, which says, very simply, free tuition to a state two-year school or a four-year school if you come from any family earning $125,000 or less,” the Governor explained during a special announcement on Tuesday.

The new initiative will be phased in over three years, beginning for New Yorkers making up to $100,000 annually in the fall of 2017, increasing to $110,000 in 2018, and reaching $125,000 in 2019.   More than 940,000 middle-class families and individuals would qualify.

According to the governor, the Excelsior Scholarship program will ensure that students statewide, regardless of their socio-economic status, have the opportunity to receive a quality education and gain the skills they need to succeed in our global economy.

“College is a mandatory step if you really want to be a success. And the way this society said, ‘We’re going to pay for high school, because you need high school,’ this society should say, ‘We’re going to pay for college, because you need college to be successful.'”

Cuomo also said that the initiative will work by leveraging New York State’s generous aid programs. Currently, the Tuition Assistance Program or TAP provides nearly $1 billion in grants to college students statewide and New York is one of only two states in the nation that offers this type of entitlement. Under the Excelsior program, eligible students would still receive TAP and any applicable federal grants. Additional state funds would cover the remaining tuition costs for incoming or existing eligible students.

Based on enrollment projections, the plan will cost approximately $163 million per year once fully phased in.

Governor Cuomo was joined by U.S. Senator and unsuccessful presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who made free tuition a platform in his unsuccessful bid for president. Sanders said that if the United States is to succeed in a highly competitive global economy, we need the best educated workforce in the world.

The proposal would have to be approved by the state legislature before going into effect.

LOCAL OFFICIALS COMMENT ON EXCELSIOR PROPOSAL

Senator Catherine Young (R-Olean)

Chautauqua County’s representative in the Senate, Cathy Young (R-Olean), is the chair of the Senate’s finance committee. Following the announcement by Cuomo, Young released the following statement:

“The State Senate has been very supportive of higher education and tuition assistance programs because achieving a college education can open the door for countless opportunities and an enhanced quality of life. Like every budget proposal, this idea will receive intense review, analysis and discussion. Not only do we need to have the infrastructure for access to high-quality education, but we also need to protect our taxpayers and our economy from being suffocated by a heavier tax burden. We look forward to receiving more information when the State Budget is released by the Governor.”

Jamestown Community College officials say the Excelsior program would be great news for current and prospective JCC students.

JCC president Cory Duckworth said in a media release that if the proposal is approved, JCC would expect to see many more students engage in its educational programs.

Duckworth also noted his interest in examining the plan’s details which are said to encourage college enrollment and promote preparation for college and consistent progress toward degree completion once enrolled, saying that these are currently three of the biggest challenges JCC faculty and staff face every day in their work at the college.

“A reduction in student debt will lift a huge burden from the backs of our graduates who are struggling to get started in life,” said Dr. Duckworth. “In addition, the extra earning power they gain from their degrees will propel them forward economically in very substantial ways.”

Tuition at JCC is currently $4,630 while tuition is $6,470 for undergraduate programs at SUNY and CUNY.

Meanwhile, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi also supports the proposal.

“In order for New York to remain a leader in today’s global economy, we must support our middle-class families and ensure the young men and women of this state have the tools needed to succeed in the 21^st century economy. By providing a tuition-free college education to eligible New Yorkers, Governor Cuomo’s proposal will transform our business landscape by giving hundreds of thousands of bright and promising students the opportunity to make their dreams a reality. I commend the Governor for this groundbreaking proposal and always fighting to rebuild our middle-class,” Teresi said.

WRFA also reached out to Assemblyman Andy Goodell on Tuesday night, but he was unavailable for immediate comment.

Chautauqua County Democratic Election Commissioner and County Democratic Committee Chairman Norman Green

MAYVILLE – Primary Day 2016 was a success in Chautauqua County.

That’s the assessment from Chautauqua County Democratic Board of Election Commissioner Norman Green, who spoke with WRFA on Wednesday to provide a recap of Tuesday’s vote.

• LISTEN TO COMPLETE WRFA INTERVIEW WITH NORM GREEN

“We thought it was one of the more excellent primary elections,” Green said. “Poll sites all were running efficiently. As far as voting machines, they were working well and doing what they needed to do, so we were pretty happy.”

Green said that because both the Republicans and Democrats had contested races, it meant that more voters from both parties were coming out to vote in the primary.

New York runs a closed primary system and across the state there were reports of voters being told they were not registered with either of the two political parties. Those who were not listed as a Republican or a Democrat but felt that they should have been should have been given the opportunity to vote through an affidavit ballot. Green said that’s what local poll workers were also instructed to do here in Chautauqua County.

“We have hundreds of affidavit ballots to review,” Green said. “Our position is everybody should have the right to cast a ballot and no one should be turned away from the polls. So everyone who came in either had the right to vote on the machines, in which case the vote was counted on primary night, or they had the chance to vote on a provisional ballot – an affidavit – and that’s in an envelope and if its determined that they were actually a member of that political party, we’ll count that ballot.”

Green said that all affidavit ballots and absentee ballots will be opened next Tuesday and counted. He said that in Chautauqua County, any voter who filed an affidavit ballot will be informed on whether or not the ballot was accepted and added to the final vote tally. If an affidavit ballot is not accepted by the board of elections, a voter does have the option to contest that decision in court.

The unofficial primary night total in the Democratic Presidential Primary for Chautauqua County was 4,127 for Bernie Sanders and 3,516 for Hillary Clinton.

On the GOP side, Donald Trump picked up the most votes with 4,722, while John Kasich came in second with 2,130 and Ted Cruz came in third with 1,865.

Across the state, Trump was also the winner for the GOP while Clinton was the winner for the Democrats. As a result, Trump will receive 89 delegates while Kasich will receive 4. On the Democratic side, Clinton picked up 139 designated delegates while Sanders received 106.

Hillary Clinton (left) and Donald Trump are the front-runners for their respective parties in the 2016 race for president.

It was a big night for both Hillary Clinton and Donald trump in New York State.

The respective Democratic and Republican presidential front runners picked up the majority of votes in the New York presidential primary on Tuesday. As a result they will also receive a good portion of party delegates that come with the victory.

Clinton, the former first lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, emerged from New York’s presidential primary closer to clinching the Democratic nomination and becoming the first woman to reach that milestone. Following her win in New York, a jubilant Clinton made clear she was moving past her unexpectedly competitive primary battle with Bernie Sanders and setting her sights on the general election. Of the 247 Democratic delegates at stake in New York, Clinton picked up at least 135 while Sanders gained at least 104.

Trump is also eager to move past the Republican primaries. With at least 89 of New York’s 95 delegates in hand, he insisted it was “impossible” for any of his rivals to catch him and warned party leaders against trying to take the nomination away from him at the convention.

The front-runners now hope to replicate their strong showings in New York in the cluster of Northeastern states next up on the primary calendar.

Clinton was scheduled to spend Wednesday campaigning in Pennsylvania, while Trump had a rally planned in Maryland, as well as Indiana.

SANDERS WINS CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, 23rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Locally in Chautauqua County – Sanders brought in more democratic votes than Clinton. Sanders received an unofficial count of 4081, not including absentees or affidavit ballots. Clinton, meanwhile, received 3483. That’s significantly less than the 6597 she received from Chautauqua County Democrats in the 2008 Primary, the last time she ran for president.

On the Republican side, Donald trump was the big winner in Chautauqua County, receiving 4648 votes from Republicans. Coming in second was Ohio Gov. John Kasich with 2098. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz came in third with 1838.

Delegates are distributed by congressional district and  Sanders was the winner of the 23^rd congressional district, picking up 57.5 percent of the vote. Sanders had a total of 27,831 across the 23^rd while Clinton received 20,573.  On the GOP side, Trump picked up 30,129, Kasich had a total of 15,169 and Cruz finished with 12,200.

Registered Republicans across New York will choose between three presidential candidates: businessman Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.  Dr. Ben Carson’s name will also appear on the ballot even though he has withdrawn from the race. Trump is favored to win a significant number of delegates in today’s race, but both Cruz and Kasich are also hoping to secure delegates as well to continue the effort of forcing a contested GOP Convention in July.

Meanwhile, Democrats will choose between two presidential candidates: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Clinton has been the front-runner for the party the entire election season, but Sanders – originally from Brooklyn – has gained ground during the past month and is hoping to pull off a huge upset in his native state.

Voting in New York State to determine delegates to the national conventions is conducted by congressional district.

LARGE TURNOUT EXPECTED FOR CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

Hillary Clinton (left) and Donald Trump are the front-runners for their respective parties in the 2016 race for president.

Locally, a total of 25,659 Democrats and 24,934 Republicans are eligible to cast ballots in today in Chautauqua County. That’s according to Chautauqua County Election Commissioners Norman Green and Brian Abram, who remind registered party members that polls are open Noon to 9 p.m.

All county poll sites will be open.

Anyone who wants more information on where to vote and voter affiliation should visit www.votechautauqua.com or call the Board of Elections at 753-4580.

Bernie Sanders

BUFFALO – Vermont senator And Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was in Buffalo Monday night and more than 11,000 supporters reportedly came out to hear his message.

During his 90-minute address, Sanders asked audience members to help create a large turnout in next week’s New York presidential primary.

He also touched on the economy, saying it was “rigged.” He talked about how “the business model of Wall Street is fraud.” He said he wants to create affordable higher education, saying student debt needs to be dealt with and there needs to be an economy that creates a decent standard of living for young people.

Sanders drew a large crowd of people inside the University of Buffalo’s Alumni Arena and even more outside.  Officials say 11,983 people total attended the Sanders’ rally, 8,323 inside 3660 outside.

Sanders trails Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton in the race for the party’s nomination. He’s hoping he will continue to gain momentum heading down the final stretch of the primary season with a victory in the party primary, which is Next Tuesday, April 19.

Bernie Sanders

BUFFALO – The presidential primary election is continuing to heat up across New York State, including here in Western New York, as another candidate prepares to make an appearance.

Monday will mark the second visit to Buffalo by a 2016 candidate, as Vermont Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders hosts his “Future to Believe in Rally” at UB’s Alumni Arena. The rally starts Monday night at 7 p.m., and doors open at 4 p.m.

The visit by Sanders – which comes on the heels of Hillary Clinton’s visit on Friday – is largely due to New York playing a crucial role for both the GOP and Democrats. In past elections, Republicans and Democrats would usually have their final candidate selected at this point, but with both parties still in the process of selecting a candidate, New York has become a key state for all candidates involved.

Both Sanders and Democratic Clinton  claim New York as their home state, but only Sanders can claim to have actually been born in the state, while Clinton didn’t become a resident until just prior to her run as U.S. Senator in 2000. Still, recent polls have indicated Clinton is favored to win the primary and the large number of delegates that come with the Empire State, although Sanders is closing in on Clinton and his hoping for an upset.

The Democratic Presidential Primary will take place a week from Tuesday on April 19. Only registered Democrats in New York State are allowed to vote in the party’s primary.

Hillary Clinton (left) and Donald Trump will both appear in Buffalo prior to the New York Presidential Primary Vote on April 19. Democratic Candidate Bernie Sanders is said to also be planning a rally prior to the vote.

BUFFALO – The race to the presidential primary election day for New York State is underway.

The primary won’t be taking place until Tuesday, April 19, but the major candidates have already started stumping in areas of the Empire State, with several of them planning stops here in Western New York.

On Friday, former first lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be in Buffalo, making a pair of campaign stops.

Clinton’s husband and former president Bill Clinton had also made a stop in the Buffalo on Monday to meet with a supporters, including Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi and Chautauqua County Democratic Committee Chairman Norman Green.

Hillary Clinton will continue to court support from the region’s Democrats on Friday as she continues to battle Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for the party’s nomination. Not including Super Delegates, Clinton holds a 1280 to 1030 delegate lead over Sanders. A total of 2,383 are needed to secure a nomination.

Clinton’s stops Friday include a public rally at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum and the Jacobs Institute in the Gates Vascular Institute, for a private round-table discussion on growing jobs and raising income.

Meanwhile, reports say that Sanders may hold a possible rally as well at the University of Buffalo, although that has not been confirmed by the Sanders camp.

On the Republican Side, Donald Trump has announced a planned rally at Buffalo’s First Niagara Center, slated for Sunday, April 17. Trump is the front-runner for the GOP. It’s not known if either of the two other candidates – Sen. Ted Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich, plan to appear in Western New York before the April 19 vote.