Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the state Senate this week will consider a package of legislation meant to bolster how local elections are managed as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The Democratic-controlled Senate will advance legislation aimed at expanding absentee ballot access, lowering petition requirements for the 2021 elections, allowing for the remote participation of party designation conferences, as well as protections for residents in nursing and long-term care facilities. The package builds off of statewide efforts to expand ballot access and accommodate social distancing concerns. Statewide, officials in 2020 made it easier to access an absentee ballot as a way to reduce the number of people going to the polls in person. Local elections will be held this year and village elections are scheduled for March. Among the measures to be included: Allowing voters to request an absentee ballot for village elections if they are concerned with contracting or spreading the coronavirus; and, reducing the number of petition signatures needed for designating and nominating petitions and more. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.