Fix Is In: Sanders Campaign Blasts New York Democrats for Striking Sanders From Ballot, Canceling Presidential Primary Over Coronavirus–But not Congressional Primary Set for Same Day

Earlier Monday, New York Democrats voted to remove Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) from the June 23 Democrat presidential primary ballot, thereby canceling that state’s presidential primary, because of claimed concerns about the COVID-19 Chinese coronavirus pandemic. Sanders has suspended his campaign and endorsed the presumptive nominee former Vice President Joe Biden, however Sanders wanted to be able accumulate delegates to influence the party platform and rules. There is also speculation that Biden’s apparent mental decline will preclude him from the nomination at some point before the August convention or the November election.

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The New York Democrats exercised a new law enacted earlier this month that allowed the striking from the ballot of candidates who have suspended their campaigns.

Democrat congressional and state legislature primaries around the state also set for June 23 will go on as planned.

Sanders senior advisor Jeff Weaver issued a statement accusing the Democrats of giving President Trump a precedent for postponing the November election.

The Huffington Post has a good report going deep on the controversy, for those who are interested click here.

Excerpt:

The New York State Board of Elections removed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) from the primary election ballot on Monday, disappointing Sanders and activists who called on the board to give New Yorkers a chance to cast symbolic votes for him.

Although Sanders withdrew from the presidential primary earlier this month and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden shortly afterward, he insisted that he would remain on the ballot in states that have yet to vote.

Sanders and his allies want to accumulate enough convention delegates to be able to influence the Democratic Party platform and rules. The Biden campaign has indicated that it is open to working with Sanders on a compromise over convention delegates.

But a provision in New York’s new budget empowered the state’s board of elections to remove presidential candidates who have suspended their campaigns, prompting Sanders partisans to scramble to preserve his ballot berth.

They did not end up prevailing on the board’s two Democrats, co-chair Douglas Kellner and commissioner Andrew Spano, who voted unanimously to remove Sanders. The state’s June 23 presidential primary is now canceled…

…Although New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has issued an executive order allowing every voter in the state to cast an absentee ballot and is sending voters an absentee ballot application, Spano also cited concerns about how holding an additional election would undermine public health. New York is due to hold its congressional and state legislative primary elections on June 23 anyway, but the cancelation of the presidential primary means that some 20 counties in the state won’t have to administer any contest at all.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that we should minimize the number of people on the ballot, minimize the election for the protection of everybody, but give the opportunity to vote in the actual elections for candidates and not have anyone on the ballot just for the purpose of issues at a convention,” Spano said.

Add democracy to the body count of coronavirus. It’s for your own good, you see.

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