DOD Says No To State Primary Waiver (NY)

[brooklynite]

Source: NY Daily News

The Department of Defense today formally rejected the state's bid for a waiver seeking to delay a law that would require the state to move its primaries to August at the earliest, a source just told me.

The decision means the federal court case that is moving forward on the matter will continue. Some state officials had hoped a Department of Defense decision to approve the waiver would kill the court case brought by the Department of Justice.

Under current law, next year’s presidential primary is scheduled for April 24. Congressional and state legislative primaries are set for Sept. 11.

But a new federal law requires states to get absentee ballots out to those in the military at least 45 days before the Nov. 6, 2012 general elections.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/11/dod-says-no-to-state-primary-waiver-updated

---

DOJ wants the Federal Office primaries (Senate and House) held no later than August. State legislators, wanting to protect incumbency, want their primaries kept in September. As a result, New York State could end up with three primaries next year.