Coronavirus: NY To Give Residents Postage-Paid Ballot Application

NEW YORK, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday said he will sign a new executive order to make sure every New Yorker automatically receives a postage paid application to receive a ballot amid the new coronavirus crisis. The announcement follows a previous order he made to amend a state provision to allow residents to seek mail-in ballots by saying they fear they'll contract the virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo's top aide, told reporters the administration felt the governor didn't have the authority to send voting ballots directly to residents for the June 23 primary. The new order will have the application for an absentee ballot sent to all residents with a paid postage stamp to ease the process.

Cuomo said he wanted to avoid having long lines of people waiting to vote, as has been seen in other states.

Cuomo's order comes as the state continued to see COVID-19-related hospitalizations, intubations and deaths fall, while the number of new patients remained relatively flat.

Total hospitalizations fell to about 14,200 after peaking at around 18,700. The net change in total hospitalizations fell to a new low of minus 763 after topping out at over 1,400.

The number of new hospitalizations, however, have remained flat for several days, Cuomo said, with the number Friday sitting at about 1,300.

Meanwhile, 422 people died overnight from the disease — 398 in hospitals and 24 in nursing homes.

"This is an unimaginable level," Cuomo said.

Cuomo once again warned of a second, more severe wave that could come in July should the state remove social distance and other mitigation measures. He called the virus "remarkably effective" at spreading and growing, noting it can survive up to 72 hours on plastic, stainless steel, car and bus seats, as well as 24 hours on cardboard, four hours on copper and even three hours in droplets hanging in the air. Furthermore, evidence showed many people spreading it display "no symptoms at all."

"So factor that into your daily life," he said.

The governor said expects to announce next week whether to extend or ease the statewide stay-at-home order, which remains in effect until May 15.

Cuomo again called for federal assistance for state governments, noting state revenues are expected to decline $13.3 billion, or about 14 percent. He also said he's looking into rent freezes, noting that the issue has been raised mostly in New York City, which has its own control authority.

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