New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order allowing New Yorkers to vote in any polling place in the wake of Hurricane Sandy’s devastation.
Any registered voter in New York City, Long Island, Westchester County or Rockland County can vote at any “approximate” polling place in the area.
The polling site must be within the a voter’s state Senate or Assembly District.
The measure is designed for those displaced by Sandy, but it could be used by any voter who signs an affidavit stating he or she is legally registered to vote in presidential and state races.
(For more info on affidavit ballots, click here.)
Cuomo’s executive order comes in response to pleas from good-government groups including Common Cause—New York and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School.
New Jersey, which also suffered extreme devastation from Sandy, has made similar considerations for displaced voters. Governor Chris Christie issued a directive on Saturday that also allows voters to vote by fax or email.
Below is Cuomo’s Executive Order 62, preceded by a related letter from the Deputy Special Counsel.