MARCH 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 9
IN THE NEWS
POLITICAL PREVIEW
CAMPAIGN TIMELINE SHAKEUP
The Nassau County Democratic Committee held their 2019 convention at the Cradle of Aviation on Wednesday,
February 13, 2019 (Photo by Tab Hauser)
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER
New York State’s recently enacted
election reforms will make it easier
for voters to cast their ballots but the
sped-up political calendar will also
make running for office more challenging
for candidates.
In addition to allowing early voting
nine days before the elections
starting this year, reforms that the
State Legislature passed in January
also nixed the usual primary day in
September and bumped it up to the
same day as the federal primary in
June — meaning underdogs challenging
party nominees will lose months
of campaign time.
“We have to get started a little earlier
than usual,” says John Jay LaValle,
the outgoing chairman of Suffolk
County Republican Committee who
is stepping down in March before
he starts doing doing more media
touting President Donald Trump, as
he did in the 2016 campaign.
On Long Island ballots this year are
dozens of races, including those for
Suffolk County Executive, Nassau
County District Attorney, both
county legislatures, judgeships, town
seats, as well as Glen Cove and Long
Beach city posts. That’s in addition to
village and special district races that
aren’t held on Election Day.
Both the Nassau and Suffolk GOP
chapters held their nominating conventions
in February instead of May,
as did the Nassau County Democratic
Committee, while the Suffolk Democrats
are forgoing the convention
altogether, party officials say.
The new timeline includes bumped-up
deadlines to meet state Board of Elections
requirements to get on ballots.
Candidates began circulating designating
petitions on February 26 and
have to file those petitions by April 4.
Candidates seeking to primary party
nominees can begin circulating independent
nominating petitions April
16 and have to file the paperwork by
May 28. The petitioning process was
previously held over the summer.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo believes the
reforms will increase voter turnout.
“The truth is New York's voter
turnout is among the lowest,” he
said when signing the reforms into
law. “The early voting is going to be
transformative for the system.”
While candidates will be appearing
earlier than usual from now on, the
issues on the campaign trail will
remain the same.
“I think voters are looking for grassroots
real people to run for office who
can really represent them,” first-term
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran,
who isn’t up for re-election this
cycle, told Democratic party faithful
during the convention in Garden City
last month. “I think they’re sick of do
nothing politicians who are not doing
the right things for the right reasons,
RACES TO WATCH
Suffolk County Executive
Democrat Steve Bellone seeks third
term
Republican challenger: Suffolk
County Comptroller John Kennedy
Nassau County District Attorney
First-term Democrat Madeline
Singas seeks re-election
Republican challenger: Francis Mc-
Quade, attorney from Long Beach
Hempstead Town Supervisor
First-term Democrat Laura Gillen
seeks re-election
Republican challenger: Hempstead
Town Tax Collector Don Clavin
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor
First-term Republican Joseph Saladino
seeks re-election
Democratic challenger: Oyster Bay
Town Clerk James Altadonna
Brookhaven Town Supervisor
Republican Ed Romaine seeks
fourth full term
Democratic challenger: Will Ferraro,
a former state legislative aide
from Selden
Islip Town Supervisor
Republican Angie Carpenter seeking
third term
Democratic challenger: Tom Murray,
an environmental attorney
from Bayport
NEW THIS YEAR
Early Voting
Voters can cast ballots starting
nine days before Election Day,
November 5.
Primary Day
Primaries will be held June 25
instead of in September.
Voter Registration
Voters who move to another county
won’t have to re-register.
they are doing the wrong things for
their own reason. People are looking
for a change.”
-With Michelle Gabrielle Centamore
“We have to get started a little earlier than
usual,” says Suffolk County Republican Committee
Chairman John Jay LaValle.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
