Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

James supports the change because it would protect the health of poll workers and voters. She also believes it would lessen the effect on voter turnout if there's automatic absentee voting instead of in-person voting. 

"Let's make it easier for every voter to cast their vote without spreading the coronavirus and jeopardizing public health," James said in a statement. "Democracy should not be suspended if there is a safe alternative." 

Under James' plan, Democratic voters in New York would be sent absentee ballots to vote in the state's presidential primary on April 28. There are also five special elections to fill vacant seats, including the 50th state Senate District in the Syracuse area. All voters in those districts would receive a ballot. 

The idea of switching, at least temporarily, to a vote-by-mail system has support in the state Legislature. Assemblyman Joseph Lentol will introduce a bill to establish an automatic absentee voting system for the April 28 elections. 

New York usually requires an excuse to obtain an absentee ballot. The reasons could include being out of town on Election Day, having an illness or disability, or being a patient at a veterans hospital. 

While other states have postponed their presidential primaries due to the coronavirus pandemic, James' plan would allow New York to hold its primary on the scheduled date. 

James is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to issue a new executive order on March 29 that would allow for the suspension of the election laws related to absentee voting. With the coronavirus outbreak in New York — there are more than 10,000 confirmed cases — James explained that allowing in-person voting would "constitute a threat of public illness," which is enough to justify adopting automatic absentee voting. 

"Voters shouldn't have to choose between their health and the right to cast a ballot," James said. 

Cuomo is open to making absentee ballots available to a larger group of voters, but he fell short of endorsing James' proposal. Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa said they are reviewing to determine what can be done through executive action to allow more voters to cast absentee ballots.