Governor Kathy Hochul

Governor Kathy Hochul is pushing state lawmakers to change the state’s election law and allow candidates on the ballot to be removed as she searches for a replacement to her former lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin.

Spectrum News reports the effort to change the law included a phone call to at least one of the Democratic leaders in the Legislature, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who has been ambivalent about making the change with only weeks to go before early voting begins in the Democratic primary.

Hochul is calling for the law after the resignation of Benjamin from the lieutenant governor’s office following his indictment on five counts of felony corruption charges. Currently, a candidate for office after accepting a nomination cannot be removed from the ballot unless there are narrow circumstances, such as leaving the state or dying.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Hochul indicated Benjamin is unlikely to leave the state. The governor acknowledged the time line for replacing Benjamin is constrained by the political calendar.

Early voting begins June 18 and absentee ballots must be printed and mailed in the coming weeks.

State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, a Democrat from Westchester County, has indicated she will introduce a bill that would allow for the removal of candidates facing criminal charges or a terminal illness. The measure could gain a floor vote in her chamber.

But Democratic lawmakers who control the state Senate and Assembly have been hesitant to support making changes to the election law ahead of the primary vote.

Benjamin has suspended his campaign. Activist Ana Maria Archila, the preferred running mate of New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and former New York City Councilwoman Diana Reyna, running with Representative Tom Suozzi, are competing for the nomination.

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Originally airing Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019

Chautauqua County Election Commissioner Norman Green stops by the WRFA studio to discuss recent changes in state election law and what they mean for both voters and candidates seeking election.

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

City Democratic Committee Chair Jim Walton tells WRFA that he has called a search committee to identify and talk with potential candidates, adding that there are already three individuals being considered. However, Walton didn’t want to provide names until the full committee has an opportunity to meet with any and all individuals interested in running.

Walton said the search committee will likely begin the process of talking with potential Democratic candidates next week, with the full committee meeting to likely give an official endorsement on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The search for a Democratic candidate is due to long-time Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi’s announcement earlier this week that he would not be seeking a sixth term in office.

Meanwhile, the Jamestown Republican Committee will also start the process of choosing an endorsement for its canidate in the mayoral race next week on Wednesday, Feb. 13. So far only city councilman Andrew Liuzzo (R-At Large) has come forward to announce his intention to run for mayor. And while Liuzzo is a Republican, it doesn’t guarantee he will be the committee’s endorsement.

Because of recent changes in state election law, the schedule that candidates must follow in order to run for office has been moved up this year. In the past the local primary didn’t take place until the first Tuesday in September, which mean the process for running for office didn’t begin until later in the calendar year.

Any candidate for local office in the 2019 elections – including the mayoral race – will have to wait until Feb. 26 before they can circulating petitions to run for office, with a deadline of April 1 to submit their petitions. A candidate must collect signatures of 5 percent of the enrolled active voters of the political party on a petition (or 1,000 – whichever is fewer) in order to get their name on the ballot. If more than one person from the same party exceeds the required threshold of signatures then a primary race will take place on Tuesday, June 25. An enrolled active voter from a political party is not allowed to sign petitions for more than one candidate seeking the same office.

To learn more about recent New York State election law changes and what candidates need to know if planning to run for office in 2019, tune in to WRFA’s weekly public affairs program Community Matters on Thursday at 5 p.m.  During the second half of the show we’ll be talking with Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioner Norman Green. Also during the first half of the show, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi will discuss his recent announcement, as well as further details into initiatives he laid out in his 2019 State of the City report.

You can also learn more about running for office by visiting the County Board of Elections website or reviewing the state Running for Elective Office Handbook.

Green said that under Cuomo’s proposal announced earlier this month, all counties with less than 100,000 registered voters would be required to open one early voting poll site for any election and that the early voting site will be open for 12 days before any election.

“Chautauqua County and all of the western New York counties accept Erie and Niagara will fall under this proposal.  That means one site for our county and if we ever solve our customer parking problem in Mayville, that would likely be at the Board of Elections office,” said Green.

“With our ever falling anemic non-presidential year voter turnout numbers, we need to do something about voter turnout.  This proposal is one obvious answer and will allow voters to come the dozen days before any election to vote and that will include weekends,” Green continued. “As for the costs, Gov. Cuomo is proposing $7 million for counties to use to help cover the costs of early voting.  Commissioner Abram and I believe that we can do this in a cost effective manner in our county and the Governor’s help would get us started.”

Green said that if it goes forward, the one site would likely be at the County Board of Elections office in Mayville.

“I hope Assemblyman Andy Goodell and Senator Cathy Young will support this voter enfranchisement proposal,” said Green.

NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

ALBANY — The leader of the state Assembly expects early pushes for gun control and election overhaul when lawmakers convene at the Capitol this month. Speaker Sheldon Silver introduced legislation at the end of December that would allow New Yorkers to vote up to two weeks before Election Day and force greater disclosure of the money behind political advertising.

He also said tightening the state’s gun laws — perhaps in a special session as soon as this week — would help highlight the issue, and make New York a “template” for other states after fatal shootings in Newtown, Conn., and suburban Rochester.

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