Thiele: Judge can decide your primary voting eligibility
Did you want to vote in tomorrow’s presidential primary in New York, but missed the October 9, 2015, date to change your party affiliation?Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) advises you to call the Suffolk County Board of Elections to determine if you may appeal your inability to vote Tuesday before a judge who will determine whether or not you may cast a ballot to be counted in the primary.
The problem developed because there are approximately 200 voters out of the estimated 7,000 Suffolk County voters who filed for a change of party and their filings were postmarked by last October 9, but the law called for the petitions to reach the Board of Elections by that day.
If you’re among those, call the Board of Elections at 852-4500 and request an appointment with a judge for Tuesday.
Mr. Thiele has sponsored legislation to open the presidential primary process by allowing voters not registered in a specific party to vote in a presidential primary regardless of party affiliation.
The legislation would apply to some 3.2 million registered New York voters and would increase turnout for presidential primaries, the legislator said.
