New York to Extend Election Day as it Prepares for Second Storm?
New York may be considering an extension of Election Day following the horrifying storm that has left much of the East Coast devastated.
New York is considering extending voting past Nov. 6 in order to allow those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy an opportunity to vote. According to state law, an extra day of in-person voting is possible with 20 days of election day, if the turnout is less than 25 percent due to a natural disaster. For some however, there is no excuse not to vote on Wednesday. New York Rep. Charlie Rangel suggested that it was only an excuse for laziness.
"There's no reason except despondency and lack of enthusiasm in terms of people who want to vote not to vote," he said on Fox News, Saturday.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
But the weatherman has offered up different reasoning after predicting that a second harsh storm could hit New York on Wednesday, making already difficult times more challenging. Concern for the coming storm has been raised, due to the amount of erosion that occurred off the Jersey Shore after Sandy.
"I think by far the worst impact will be the coastal flooding and erosion, and that's a concern regardless of how far off the coast it is," Brian McNoldy, a weather researcher at the University of Miami, said to the Huffington Post. "You'll get pretty strong winds and enhanced swells and waves. I think that's looking pretty certain."
The storm will impact both New York and New Jersey where over 2 million people still remain without power. Thus far, the possibility of extending the vote has not been taken off the table.
"It's a possibility," John Conklin, a spokesman for the state Board of Elections, told Gannett News. "I can't rule it out, but it would be determined after Election Day."
