The deadline for voters to apply for absentee ballots has been extended until Friday, Nov. 2, because of Hurricane Sandy complications, said the state Board of Elections, according to the Albany Times Union.
The New York State Civil Liberties Union recently reported that more than 100 downstate polling places in New York City and Long Island were in storm-affected areas.
Election officials have been working to make sure polling locations are dried out and have power by Election Day on Tuesday, while some are considering a rule that could add an extra day of voting for those near an inaccessible polling place.
According to the Times Union, the state Board of Elections held an emergency meeting late Wednesday to move the ballot application deadline to Friday. It had previously been Oct. 30. Ballots must still be postmarked no later than Monday.
Additionally, the board extended by six days the deadline for absentee ballots to be returned to their local boards of elections. That deadline has been moved to Nov. 19 from Nov. 13.
Common Cause, a voter rights group, will also debut PollWatchUSA on Election Day, a website and smartphone app that will allow voters to report trouble at polling sites, from broken polling machines to overly long lines.
"It's going to be a tool in which people can communicate a problem or receive information," Susan Lerner, Common Cause's executive director told the paper.
