6
QUEENS WEEKLY, MAY 17, 2020
Two Queens borough president candidates fi le lawsuits
against Governor Cuomo over canceled special election
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Two Queens borough
president candidates have
filed lawsuits against
Gov. Andrew Cuomo
and the state’s Board of
Elections over his executive
order canceling the
special election.
Candidates Jim Quinn
and Dao Yin filed each
filed lawsuits on Friday,
May 8, in an effort to reinstate
the June 23 special
election.
“We strongly believe
— and there is precedent
with the federal judge’s
ruling on the presidential
primary — that the
outright cancelation of
an election is an unnecessary
abuse of power that
deprives voters of their
rights,” said Quinn.
Quinn, former Queens
Assistant District Attorney
who’s running on a
law and order platform,
only filed petitions for
the special election and
not the primary, leaving
him out of the race.
He said the Queens
borough president’s
special election should
take place with absentee
ballots.
“We support the governor’s
executive order
expanding absentee voting
and believe this is a
reasonable alternative that
protects public health while
still safeguarding democracy.
In fact, the governor
himself has adopted this solution
for other elections occurring
Photos courtesy of Jim Quinn’s campaign, Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Dao Yin’s campaign
on the same date,”
said Quinn. “The people of
Queens have suffered tremendously
as a result of this
virus, but they should not
have their rights stripped
from them as well.”
The special election for
Queens borough president
was originally scheduled
for March 24 by Mayor Bill
de Blasio, but was later postponed
until June 23 due to
COVID-19. Cuomo then canceled
it with an executive
order on Friday, April 24, in
an effort to fight the spread
of COVID-19.
While the special election
may be canceled, voters
will still have the opportunity
to vote for a Queens
borough president come
June 23, when they’ll vote
in the primary leading up
to November’s general election.
Whoever wins the November
election will take
office on January 2021.
The candidates running
for the position include
Councilmen Costa Constantinides
and Donovan
Richards, former Councilwoman
Elizabeth Crowley
and retired NYPD officer
Anthony Miranda. Joann
Ariola, the Queens County
Republican Party chairperson,
is running on the GOP
line.B
ut before the special
election was postponed in
March, more than 2,500
residents cast their votes
during early voting.
Yin, a Queens businessman,
is concerned about the
votes that were already collected
and believes the move
to cancel the special election
is “illegal and invalid.”
“Our campaign has
spent significant amounts
of time and money reaching
out to voters of all
types, including Democrats,
Republicans, and
independents,” said Yin.
“For Governor Cuomo to
change the rules of the
game at the last minute in
order to benefit his cronies
is an outrage.”
De Blasio has yet to address
the decision directly.
“Queens is in a crisis.
Our hospitals are overwhelmed.
This election
on June 23 is the first
chance for the people to
actually have their voice
heard as to how all residents
of Queens can turn
the corner on this crisis,”
said Yin.
QNS reached out to
Cuomo’s office for comment
but did not receive a
comment.
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