New York Democrats cancel 2020 primary, kicking Bernie Sanders off the ballot

[Gothmog]

Link to tweet

New York has delivered a major blow to Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) continued push for Democratic power.

Democrats on the New York state Board of Elections decided Monday to cancel the party's presidential primary, which had already been pushed from April back to June 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That leaves Sanders without a chance to grab any delegates in the state, despite his insistence on staying on the ballot to secure more standing within the party.

Sanders suspended his 2020 run last month and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, but still wanted his supporters to vote for him so his delegates could "exert significant influence over the party platform and other functions" at the Democratic National Convention. But Doug Kellner, one of the two Democratic commissioners on the elections board in New York, concluded Sanders' suspension "ended the real context for the primary election." "Joe Biden is the only candidate and therefore he is effectively the winner of the New York primary," Kellner said, so holding the primary would be "unnecessary and frivolous" during the coronavirus pandemic.

[democrattotheend]

1. I am so pissed off about this

Not because I was going to vote for Bernie - I actually planned to vote for Warren if she was still on the ballot, because I figured now that it's over I may as well vote for the person I really wanted to vote for. But now I get no say at all, not even a symbolic one. More importantly, there were several special elections that Cuomo deliberately scheduled for the same day as the presidential primary, including the special election for Congress to replace Chris Collins, and that election appears to still be going forward. Since Bernie's most ardent supporters were determined to vote for him anyway, having the presidential primary would have driven up turnout for the special election.

Also, I'm sure this will fuel more conspiracy theories about a "rigged process" that we don't need, even though neither the DNC, the state Democratic Party, nor Biden's campaign requested the cancellation.

Finally, this is just demoralizing because it feels like despite what he's been saying about the peak going down, Cuomo still thinks we're going to be locked down in 2 months, which is really depressing.

[SoonerPride]

6. Biden is unopposed.

Having a primary at this point only endangers lives for no purpose.

There is literally no reason to have one now.

[democrattotheend]

8. Did you actually read my post?

As I explained, there is still an election that day, including a special election for Congress. Also, nobody's lives would be jeopardized by voting because Cuomo already ordered absentee ballot applications to be sent to every New York voter automatically, and is allowing everyone to vote absentee with no excuse.

Even if it were an in-person election, I don't think it would endanger lives by June 23, because we're not going to be still locked down by then. We've already passed the peak, and the state by state estimates have us ready to reopen by June 1. And even if we're in worse shape than expected with coronavirus, Cuomo has already acknowledged that we can't keep things locked down that long. Many people in New York, especially in the city, don't have air conditioning in their apartments and can't afford it. At a certain point keeping people inside becomes more dangerous than easing the lockdown.

[Hortensis]

23. I understand and you're somewhat right, BUT

Sanders has withdrawn from the race.

Sanders is NOT running for president. Sanders supporters cannot vote for him for president.

Biden is unopposed, and holding the primary unnecessarily endangers voters.

I don't really care if NY holds a primary or not. But this isn't all about whatever Sanders wants, or you. I have some bit of compassion for his supporters' lack of closure, but it'd be really nice if respect and consideration went both ways.

The party and its many millions of members have no duty to give this one withdrawn candidate's supporters the opportunity to cast a fake, symbolic vote because SANDERS ISN'T RUNNING..

Just like the other two dozen or so candidates who've withdrawn and are not running.

[Demsrule86]

10. You should vote for the nominee...message voting ...don't do it.

We all need to come together.

[brooklynite]

12. Cuomo said today that lockdown would be extended beyond May 15 is some parts of NYS...

...likely NYC where most of Sanders' votes would come from.

[comradebillyboy]

2. So New York isn't going to let Sanders have it both ways.

He's either still running or he's out of the race, he can't do both. He's playing some strange game that makes no sense to me.

[Phoenix61]

4. From what I've read it's about having enough

delegates to exert pressure when the Dems develop their platform.

[comradebillyboy]

7. Too bad. I don't really want to see Sanders surrogates like Cornell West

sabotage the Democratic platform again this year. Sanders doesn't get to dictate to the winner.

[redstatebluegirl]

13. His supporters don't get to determine the platform in total either.

[SoonerPride]

3. Everyone has dropped out so going forward only endangers lives

There is no point of a primary

Time to focus on the election.

[democrattotheend]

9. No lives would be endangered

Cuomo already allowed everyone to vote by mail and ordered automatic mailing of absentee applications. Also, there are other elections that day.

[Demsrule86]

11. Ballots can be contaminated you know...it is pointless and sends a bad message to those who refuse

to accept that Sanders has lost. Good for New York. The primary is over.

[Dem2]

5. Inflammatory BS

Of all the things I'm worried about during a pandemic, this isn't it.

[Bev54]

14. Thank you for some sanity.

[Raftergirl]

15. I'm in NY

and have zero problem with the primary being cancelled.

Our job is to focus all our efforts now the General Election and winning in November.

[LizBeth]

16. It is not "kicking him off" when he stepped out of the race himself. Good for NY!

[The Magistrate]

17. Good To Hear, Sir

The fewer delegates pledged to Sanders are certified for the convention, the less disruption may be contrived. The inability to make mischief is the best assurance none will be made. Personally, I do not fully trust Sanders to behave himself, and would prefer a situation where whether he can be trusted or not is immaterial, because he has been deprived of any ability to do damage. Even if one trusts Sanders, it is certain there will be some among the delegates pledged to him who will be bent upon disruption, and again, the fewer there are, the less chance they can manage real harm. Heaven knows when only one candidate continues in the field, that candidate ought to get all remaining delegates in a bloc.


"Defeat of a dangerous enemy is something to be for."

[grantcart]

21. Solidarity is our only tool, tactic and strategy.

Once we have 3 branches we can return to Inter party struggle for policy.

[JI7]

18. Warren Klobuchar Buttigieg are still on the ballot ?

[Gothmog]

19. No

All candidates who have withdrawn were treated equally

[aidbo]

20. Wow, i hope I get to vote

[William769]

22. I LOVE NEW YORK!

[question everything]

24. But these are only the presidential primary. When do the others take place?

What about the others, for other offices?

[tritsofme]

25. Good news. Unnecessary and frivolous is a very on point description.

[Gothmog]

26. The cancellation will likely save the state millions of dollars

Mailing a separate presidential ballot would cost New York a ton of money https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/04/27/new-york-cancels-democratic-presidential-primary-1280260

The cancellation will likely save the state millions of dollars and make it easier to increase the use of voting by mail in local elections in the coming months. But it also will anger supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had hoped to win some delegates in New York to increase their sway over the party’s platform.

“We should minimize the number of people on the ballot, minimize the election for the protection of everybody … and not have everyone on the ballot just for purposes of issues at a convention,” Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner Andy Spano said during the board's meeting. ….

“But we’re dealing with a statute [that] specifically says that if a candidate has announced that they’re suspending their campaign, that they can be removed from the ballot,” he said. “What the Sanders supporters want is essentially a beauty contest that, given the situation with the public health emergency that seems to exist now, seems to be unnecessary and frivolous.”

Kellner and other election officials had framed the decision as a logical one that will make it much easier to administer elections in a year with an unprecedented number of administrative challenges

For one, it will make it much easier to manage a newly expanded system of voting-by-mail. There will still be a number of primaries for congressional, state, and local elections on June 23. But presidential ballots need to be designed differently, because of the way people elect delegates. That would have meant the ballot would need to be printed on a separate piece of paper and would cause at least a doubling in the paperwork involved.

“Mailing 6.5 million ballots for a presidential primary … in addition to whatever number is required for a state and local election, is likely impossible,” a board staff memo on the subject said. “Mailing a lesser number for a state and local election may be impossible as well, but it would likely be more attainable.”

And it’ll save some money at a time when the state's finances are in free-fall.

[burrowowl]

27. Kick