Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics as expected Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo August 20, signed into law a three-part package of bills intended to expand access to absentee ballots and to ensure they are received by Election Day. Among the bills approved by Cuomo was a measure expanding the criteria for absentee balloting to include virtually any registered voter so those concerned with contracting COVID-19 can vote by absentee. A second measure will add almost seven weeks to the amount of time a voter has to cast a ballot through the absentee process. And Cuomo also okayed an amendment to the state's election law that allows ballots to be postmarked on the day of the election, Nov. 3. That provision also requires boards of elections to count all absentee ballots that have a time stamp showing they were delivered to the board on the day after the election, but lack a dated postmark. Local elections officials are preparing for an influx of absentee ballots as millions more voters are expected to cast votes by mail this year. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.