Legislature Supports Consolidation of Primary Elections

New City, NY  (March 25, 2014)– The Rockland County Legislature unanimously approved a resolution sponsored by Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe and Legislator Ilan Schoenberger to request the State Legislature pass Assembly and Senate bills proposed to move the date of state and local primary elections to the fourth Tuesday in June to coincide with Federal non-presidential primaries.

Chairman Wolfe said New York is currently not in compliance with a federal law, which requires states to send absentee ballots to military and overseas citizens 45 days in advance of a primary or a general election.  “Presently, New York’s state and local primaries are held on the second Tuesday in September which makes it difficult to get ballots to overseas voters within the 45 days and in time for November general elections,” said Wolfe. “Consolidating these primary dates makes absolute sense. Eligible New Yorkers, living overseas, will be allowed ample time to complete and return their ballots and communities across the state will save the cost of one primary per year.”  Wolfe added, “Rockland County spends almost $500,000 per primary election, all of which are local tax dollars paid by county residents.  There is absolutely no governmental reason to insist on a split primary date.”

Wolfe had previously written to State Senator David Carlucci on this issue, but has not received a response regarding the Senator's position on moving the primary date to June.

Legislator Schoenberger said, “Our State Legislators must ensure that our military service personnel will be afforded time to vote.   Not providing our country’s defenders the time to vote is perplexing.  The other important factor is that one less primary will save Rockland taxpayers $500,000.  I am hopeful that our state leaders will agree on this important point.”