This Week's Elections May Be Delayed - At Least in Oneida County

Local town and village elections scheduled for this Wednesday - March 18, 2020 - may be postponed in an effort to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente is encouraging Governor Cuomo to announce a statewide postponement of this week's vote, but said he is prepared to delay them in Oneida County if Cuomo doesn't.

''Voting is important...but it's not the end of the world, in terms of that election cycle, if it can wait a month,'' Picente said a media briefing Sunday afternoon.

His primary concern is the population that is believed to be among the most susceptible to COVID-19.

''Seniors vote more than anybody else, especially in village elections. And, the poll workers are usually people over 60, retired'' he said.

''If we're trying to contain people...but then we're opening up town and village halls [as polling locations]. The [current] office holder can stay in for another month...and, many of these races are uncontested.''

Following this week's scheduled town and village elections, there are two upcoming voting dates in New York State that preceed the nation's General Election Day (Nov. 3, 2020)

New York's Presidential Primary is currently planned for April 28, while State and Federal Primary races are currently set to be decided on June 23.