Any New Yorker concerned about spreading or catching coronavirus can vote by mail in the upcoming presidential election thanks to a new bill signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday.
Cuomo announced the expanded voting options on Twitter.
“I just signed legislation to guarantee that New Yorkers can vote safely & that EVERY vote counts,” Cuomo tweeted. “All voters can now request an absentee ballot if they are concerned about COVID.”
Before Cuomo signed the bill, New York law limited absentee ballots to voters who were absent from their county or unable to get to their assigned polling location because of an illness, a physical disability or if they are a caretaker.
According to WROC, the bill Cuomo signed expands the meaning of illness to allow voters with concerns about the ongoing pandemic to vote by mail.
The governor had already signed an executive order permitting all New Yorkers to vote by mail during the state’s June 23 primary election.
Cuomo added in another tweet that this “legislation ensures that every vote counts.”
Cuomo’s announcement comes amid concerns that the U.S. Postal Service won’t be able to handle an influx of mail-in ballots.
The House is scheduled to vote Saturday on legislation to provide $25 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his disdain for mail-in voting. He claims a mostly mail-in election will result in a fraudulent election.
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