Category Archives: Interviews

We spoke to Onondaga County’s Elections Commissioners Michele Sardo (R) and Dustin Czarny (D) who are awaiting more details from the governor’s executive orders. The commissioners note that voters who want to avoid going to the polls to protect themselves from COVID-19 should check the box on the absentee ballot request where it says ‘TemporaryContinue reading “You can use an absentee ballot if concerns over COVID-19 are still a factor in June primary – WSYR9”

“People are asking to be able to do absentee ballots because they’re afraid of getting sick or they’re in an at-risk group or they just don’t simply want to go to the polls on Election Day,” https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2020/04/08/lawmakers-urged-to-expand-vote-by-mail-in-new-york/

“People are asking to be able to do absentee ballots because they’re afraid of getting sick or they’re in an at-risk group or they just don’t simply want to go to the polls on Election Day,” https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-of-politics/new-york/ny-state-of-politics/2020/04/07/new-york-weighs-expanding-absentee-ballot-access

“At risk citizens afraid of being infected by this deadly disease deserve the right to cast their vote safely without risking challenge from partisans hoping to win an election,” Czarny said. “Reducing the Election Day population by allowing a more accessible absentee process, as well as early voting measures passed last year, can help usContinue reading “Elections officials push for expanded absentee voting amid Covid-19 – Buffalo News”

Passing Biaggi’s bill is “going to remove any kind of doubt that this is a valid excuse,” Czarny said. “People will not have to choose between risking their health or their right to vote.” https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Elections-commissioners-preparing-for-combined-15162131.php

Senator Biaggi and other proponents of the legislation, such as Manhattan Assembly-member Yuh-Line Niou (D), Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny, and Common Cause, believe that expanding the current absentee voting regime would be easier to implement in a limited amount of time than an entire vote-by-mail system. https://wfuv.org/content/how-coronavirus-may-affect-new-yorks-elections

Onondaga elections commissioners Michele Sardo and Dustin Czarny told localsyr.com that much of their staff was working from home as per the governor’s executive order, but there was too much work left to do that could only be done at the board’s offices. https://www.localsyr.com/health/coronavirus/cuomo-moves-ny-presidential-primary-to-june/

“Hundreds of thousands of people are inactive on the voter rolls right now, that means we don’t have proper addresses for them,” said Czarny. This is why I support expanded absentees now to bridge to a VBM system in the future. https://www.wbfo.org/state/2020-03-27/coronavirus-spurs-push-to-postpone-nys-presidential-primary-and-allow-more-mail-in-voting

“This is all unprecedented, and that’s why we’re calling for delay,” Czarny said. “We need to figure this all out….This is only a very small portion of what he must deal with right now, but it would be nice to know what to do,” he said of the governor. “Time is ticking.” https://buffalonews.com/news/local/coronavirus-puts-special-election-for-ny-27-in-doubt/article_17b93460-3e56-545b-8aff-16186c7d3b60.html

A news release from Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny and Republican Commissioner Michele Sardo also asked for the increased use of absentee ballots and to give local election officials more flexibility in securing poll sites and workers for the June primary.