Absentee ballots have been mailed out in Onondaga County, after there was some confusion over whether the names of Republican and Conservative candidates for state Supreme Court would appear on the ballots. A judge ruled that the convention process for those candidates was improper and removed them from the ballot.
For now, those candidates are staying on the ballot, after the same judge issued a stay on his ruling, which included allowing a deadline of Tuesday, October 23, for the Republican and Conservative parties to hold new conventions for their candidates. Appeals from Democratic and Republican lawyers will be heard by an Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Friday.
Onondaga County Democratic Commissioner Dustin Czarny said the delay in sending out the absentee ballots, just short of three weeks before the election, is the judge’s fault, for taking 12 days to render an initial decision. Czarny said if someone votes along a line that is ultimately thrown out, those votes will be no good.
“This is part of the problem with the judge taking so long on this," Czarny said. "Now we have these appellate cases and reconvening of conventions, we’re getting farther and farther in the clock for the elections, and people have to start making choices and mailing in absentee ballots.”
Czarny said he does not know if new absentee ballots would be mailed out if the courts rule that the Republican and Conservative parties cannot hold new conventions so close to the election.
The other counties affected including, Oswego, Oneida, Jefferson, Herkimer and Lewis, have either already mailed out absentee ballots or will be mailing them out soon.
