Assembly to Take Up Legislation Moving Primaries to June 26

Earlier today, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Election Law Committee Chair Michael Cusick announced the introduction of legislation to establish the fourth Tuesday in June (June 26^th this year) as New York’s primary election day for both federal and state offices.

The bill will be considered at the Assembly’s Election Law Committee meeting this coming Tuesday.

They say that the move will save the state and local governments $50 million this year.

The bill would also:

• move the filing deadline for designating petitions in 2012 to April 16;
• reduce the number of designating signatures required for an Assembly seat to 375 (down from 500); and
• require 750 designating signatures for a Senate seat, a reduction of 250 signatures.

If enacted, it would bring state law into conformity with the recent federal court decision scheduling the state’s Congressional primaries on June 26, 2012 and bring the state into compliance with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act.