May 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Appeals court affirms New York Democratic primary must take place

Rashaan Ayesh

Family members all wear masks as they walk along the Hudson Rive — Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

A federal judge ordered Tuesday that New York must move forward with its Democratic presidential primary on June 23, Politico reports.

Why it matters: New York's Board of Elections initially canceled the primary because it believed the risk of spreading the coronavirus was greater than holding an election with only one contender — Joe Biden. The move angered Bernie Sanders supporters and prompted a lawsuit by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who argued that canceling the primary "denies voters the right to vote."

What they're saying:

“[T]he removal of presidential contenders from the primary ballot not only deprived those candidates of the chance to garner votes for the Democratic Party’s nomination, but also deprived their pledged delegates of the opportunity to run for a position where they could influence the party platform, vote on party governance issues, pressure the eventual nominee on matters of personnel or policy, and react to unexpected developments at the Convention.”

— Judge Analisa Torres

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Appeals court affirms New York Democratic primary must take place

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