Rockland Preps For June 23 Primaries With $400K In Grants

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The presidential, congressional and state primaries are June 23, and Rockland voters will have a choice about going to the polls or voting by absentee ballot. The county's election officials are preparing to print and mail absentee ballot applications to eligible voters, as required under an executive order from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Any voter wishing to vote via absentee because of concerns about COVID-19 may do so.

"The risk of infection will be covered under the temporary illness category," county election officials said.

The county received $398,937 in federal and state grants to help with the operation. The money came through the federal CARES act for coronavirus relief and the New York state Elections Help America Vote Act, The Journal News reported.

There are a number of ways to get and submit an absentee ballot application. One will be sent to you by mail.

If you don't want to wait, here's one you can fill out and submit electronically, with an electronic signature.

Also you could request an absentee ballot by phone for the June 23, 2020 Primary only. Call 845-638-5172. Ask to complete a by-phone application.

You could also request an absentee ballot by sending a letter to the Board of Elections. The letter may be sent via mail, email or fax. The Board of Elections' address is 11 New Hempstead Rd, New City, NY 10956, the email is VoterInfo@co.rockland.ny.us and the fax is 845-638-5196. The letter request is valid for the June 23, 2020 primary only.

The letter must be received no later than seven days before the election. The letter must contain the following information: your name and date of birth, the address where you are registered, an address where the ballot is to be sent, and the reason for the request.

If you cannot pick up your ballot, or will not be able to receive it through the mail, you have the right to designate someone to pick it up for you. Only that person designated on your application may pick up and deliver your ballot. Please note: as of 2015, the commissioners amended the Absentee Ballot Policy. No one, even if authorized by the applicant, may pick up more than five absentee ballots.

On the ballot

Congressional District 17

Republican primary

• Yehudis Gottesfeld
• Maureen McArdle Schulman

Democratic primary

• David Buchwald
• David Carlucci
• Asha Castleberry-Hernandez
• Evelyn Farkas
• Allison Fine
• Mondaire Jones
• Catherine Parker
• Adam Schleifer

State Senate District 38

Democratic primary

• Eudson Francois
• Vladimir Leon
• Elijah Reichlin-Melnick
• Justin Sweet

Republican primary

• William Weber, Jr.
• Matthew Weinberg