New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has postponed the state’s presidential primary election as they continue to get battered by the coronavirus.
The primaries were originally scheduled for April 28, but have now been moved to June 23.
“I don’t think it’s wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote,” the Democrat governor said during a news conference.
New York has become the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States, with 52,318 cases and 728 deaths as of Saturday afternoon. The state accounts for more than a third of all cases in the nation.
“We have been behind this virus from day one. We are waiting to see what the virus does,” Cuomo continued. “You don’t win on defense. You win on offense. You have to get ahead of this.”
The Democratic National Committee said in a statement that its Rules and Bylaws Committee would be handling what to do about states that moved their primaries beyond June 9.
“As states continue to deal with the unknown of COVID-19, it is critical that we ensure the safety and well-being of all Americans, as well as protect and expand every American’s right to vote. That is why we encourage all remaining states to implement critical tools like vote by mail and other critical reforms to make it easier to vote,” DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation and work with state parties around their delegate selection plans, and if states move beyond the June 9th window stated in our rules, the Rules and Bylaws Committee will meet to discuss and determine next steps.”
The announcement came the same day that President Donald Trump announced that he is considering a “short-term, two week” quarantine for “New York, probably New Jersey and certain parts of Connecticut.”
“We might not have to do it, but there’s a possibility sometime today,” Trump said while speaking to reporters at the White House.
