Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics state Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou April 13, called on the state to send every eligible voter in New York an absentee ballot application. By doing so, the state would essentially be creating a vote-by-mail system in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The challenges would be clear for the state to overcome: Aside from the cost, boards of elections process only a handful of absentee ballot applications every election year. But there are concerns surrounding in-person voting in 2020. Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved the state's presidential primary and two special elections from April 28 to June 23 and this month ordered no-excuse absentee voting for the primary. "As we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic, New Yorkers should not have to choose between their health and their right to vote," Niou said in a statement. "We have to make sure that in our push to protect democracy and expand voting options, no one is left out...That's why I'm calling for us to go one step further and mail ballot applications to every eligible voter in the state. Now, more than ever, we need to fight for government accessibility and representation for our constituents to ensure all voices are heard." Read the full story at NYStateofPolitics [dot] com.