Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Democratic officials in New York are searching for ways to remove ex-Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin's name from the June primary ballot. Benjamin is facing a five-count felony indictment based on allegations of fraud and bribery. He has suspended his campaign and resigned from office, but he will continue to appear on the June ballot for the Democratic primary contest, facing former New York City Councilmember Diana Reyna and activist Ana Maria Archila. The good government organization Common Cause New York said this week that state election laws for removing candidates from the ballot are too strict and should be changed. "This is a huge problem for the 6.4 million registered voters in the Democratic primary who will confront a ballot that does not reflect the reality of the field, and may end up throwing away their vote on a candidate who is not running for office," said Susan Lerner, Common Cause New York's executive director. Benjamin's name can be removed from the ballot if he moves out of state and is disqualified for holding elected office in New York. A bill that would address the issue would remove a candidate from the ballot if the person has received a life-threatening illness, faces criminal charges or if they have resigned from the office they are running for on the ballot, but it is unlikely to be approved in time for when voting begins in June. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who faces the prospect of running without a preferred running mate, has acknowledged that the time for removing Benjamin is limited, but said in a radio interview this week it is being reviewed. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.