NY Dems make it easier to vote in 2020 presidential primary

ALBANY — The New York State Democratic Party voted unanimously Wednesday to make it easier for registered independent voters to re-enroll as Democrats to vote in next year’s presidential primary — three years after Bernie Sanders slammed the state’s onerous election rules.

Under the new rules, a voter not affiliated with a party can re-enroll as a Democrat up to 25 days before the April 28, 2020, election instead of months before.

A member of another political party could re-register up to 60 days before the primary election instead of 200 days before.

Sanders complained that thousands of younger voters who wanted to cast a ballot for him in the New York 2016 Democratic primary could not do so because of the closed primary process.

Over 300 party delegates met in Albany deciding unanimously on the changes, and to set April 28, 2020, as the Democratic primary date.

State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs credited Berniecrats in New York and the progressive wing of the party with pushing to change the rules to open up the primary to more voters.

Sanders backers pushed the issue during the 2018 midterm cycle, when Democratic incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced off against insurgent Cynthia Nixon.

“I don’t feel squeezed per say…I feel pushed, if you will, and they managed to push moderate progressives like myself, further than we might have gone otherwise. I think they serve as a good purpose,” he said of Sanders’ supporters.

“While we don’t buy into much of their very far-left agenda, which relates to equality of income, we do however believe in equality of opportunity,” Jacobs said.

In 2020, New York will get 327 delegates to the national convention thanks to certain bonuses afforded by election law changes, according to Jacobs.

In 2016, New York had 291 delegates.

Jacobs said the broad agreement on voting changes “portends a very positive sign going into the election against Trump because no matter what we are going to be united.”

The rule changes still require approval of the Democratic-controlled state Legislature.

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