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The New York State presidential primary, scheduled for April 28, has been pushed to June 23, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) said in a Saturday press conference.
June 23 was originally the date for only New York State’s congressional and legislative primaries — the presidential primary candidates will now be included on that ballot. New York presidential primaries are unique in that voters elect pledged delegates, not candidates.
NEW: We will move our presidential primary to June 23rd.
Public health is our number one priority and we will carry out this vital democratic process at a safer date.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 28, 2020
The decision from Cuomo comes after 11 other states and territories postponed their presidential primaries. The New York Times reported that New York State officials had been weighing this decision for weeks.
The decision finally came as a way to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus. The New York City area has become the nationwide epicenter for the outbreak. With case numbers exponentially rising, President Donald Trump has considered a 14-day state quarantine for New York, and potentially for New Jersey and Connecticut as well.
The three-day Democratic Convention is scheduled to begin on July 13 — the Democratic National Committee is reportedly considering contingency plans. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin on Aug. 24 — Trump stated there was “no way” he would cancel the convention.