Kate Lisa | Spectrum News 1 | Oct. 21, 2022
A New York state Supreme Court justice in Saratoga County ruled a new state law that allowed absentee ballots to be counted on Election Day is unconstitutional while the decision to overturn COVID-19 as a reason to vote by mail rests with a higher court.
It means local boards of elections must preserve, or put aside, the absentee ballots they receive and hold them for later review….
Absentee ballots already requested or mailed out are unaffected.
Voters can still request a mail-in ballot for temporary illness or COVID-19. That state rule sunsets at the end of the year, regardless of legal challenges.
And voting rights advocates want people to know Friday’s ruling will not change anything for New Yorkers who wish to vote by mail this election.
“I don’t want people to be discouraged,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. “You can still get an absentee ballot. It will ultimately be counted, whether it’s going to be counted this week or in a month. You still can vote absentee.”
Note: All valid absentee ballots will be counted, it’s just a question of when. Vote during Early Voting or on Election Day to avoid the games Republicans are playing with counting your vote.
