Early Voting in New York State 2026 Primary Election Voting June 13th – June 21st
Early Voting: Outside NYC
Voters may visit any of their assigned Early Voting Centers in their county. Early voting hours of operation are provided by local County Boards of Elections.
Early Voting: New York City
Voters must vote at their assigned early voting site. The early voting site may be different from your Election Day poll site. Early polling poll site search
NYC Primary Election Early Voting Dates/Times
Friday, June 19, Saturday, June 20 & Sunday, June 21: 9 am to 5 pm
In The News-New York State
Governor Hochul Unveils First Wave of Regulatory Reforms in the ‘EXPRESS NY’ Initiative
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the first series of state actions to improve government service delivery through her EXPRESS NY initiative, with 50 actions being taken across 22 state agencies. According to the Governor, together these actions are projected to save New Yorkers tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary fees and compliance costs and over one million hours of time spent navigating the regulatory process.
This first wave of regulatory reforms comes after the Governor issued a call for recommendations across all state agencies last fall. Each state agency was asked to recommend regulations or rules that could be eliminated or modified to improve the delivery of government services. The initial changes were included in this week’s State Register.
Initiatives Include:
- Department of State Licensing: Streamlining the occupational licensing renewal applications by simplifying the renewal application for the over 800,000 New Yorkers who have occupational licenses with the Department of State, including barbers, cosmetologists, real estate professionals, notaries, security guards and other licensed professionals.
- Streamlining Nurse Aide Training (DOH): The Department of Health will adjust the training hour requirements for nurse aides to match the minimum federal standards (75 hours) instead of the higher state requirement (currently 100 hours). This regulatory reform will make it easier for those seeking to become a certified nurse aide to complete their training requirements and help to address workforce shortages.
- Streamlining Medicaid Paperwork and Reporting for Healthcare Providers (DOH): The Department of Health will reform their regulations to replace dozens of repetitive documentation and recordkeeping requirements in the Medicaid program with a single cross-referenced standard. This will save time and money for healthcare providers (e.g., ophthalmologists, audiologists) and hospitals by allowing clinical staff to spend less time on duplicate forms and more time on patient care.
- Digitizing Medicaid Workflows for Healthcare Providers (DOH): The Department of Health will update their regulations to explicitly authorize the use of digital signatures and online forms for Medicaid administration. This regulatory change will help ensure that healthcare providers can utilize electronic workflows and modernize their systems to increase efficiency.
- Streamlining Incident Reporting Across Supportive Services (OASAS): The Office of Addiction Services and Supports is updating their regulations to allow the same digital incident reporting system used by mental health clinics. This will impact staff at dual-licensed programs by eliminating the need to enter the same incident into two different state systems, saving thousands of hours in administrative time, and reducing risk of human error.
- Updating No-Fault Insurance Forms (DFS): The Department of Financial Services has made reforms to support the submission of no-fault insurance forms through an online portal and shift insurance administration away from outdated paper processes toward digital efficiency. This reform will help create a safer and more secure portal for the hundreds of thousands of no-fault arbitration requests there are annually.
- Modernizing the MWBE Program to Streamline Certification (ESD): Empire State Development has proposed a comprehensive package of regulatory updates that will modernize the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program. The updated regulations will introduce a Professional Declaration of Eligibility application to fast-track review applications for licensed professionals (e.g., architects, engineers, attorneys), cutting anticipated review time for those applications by roughly 50 percent. The proposed regulations will also institute new mandatory training for agency MWBE liaisons, clarify discretionary purchasing guidance, and implement new quarterly reporting mandates for agencies to track and maximize MWBE participation on state contracts. In addition, the updates provide guidance on applicant requirements to ensure clarity and uniformity for businesses, clarify MWBE certification eligibility for specialty trade union contractors, and strengthen procedures for prime contractors to modify utilization plans to better protect MWBEs.
- Expanding Telehealth in Assisted Living (DOH): The Department of Health has issued guidance which clarifies that after an initial in-person assessment, telehealth may be used in Adult Care Facility and Assisted Living settings. This reform will help reduce delays in care, increase access for specialists and doctors for seniors across the state, and eliminate the need for fragile residents to travel for every routine appointment.
- Increasing Flexibility for Mental Health Clinics (OMH): The Office of Mental Health will create increased flexibility for Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS) providers to ensure that health-related social needs and preventative interventions for families can e addressed at the moment someone seeks help. This new framework ensures patients receive timely appointments, robust follow-up care, and enhanced care coordination. Furthermore, the reform introduces vital standards to guarantee safe discharges from inpatient and emergency settings, creating a more supportive safety net for individuals with complex needs.
- Improving Administration of SSA Benefits (OPWDD): The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities is updating their regulations governing how providers manage Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits on behalf of the individuals in their care. Currently, these regulations are very restrictive, making it challenging for providers to administer SSA benefits. This update will streamline the benefits process and reduce the burden on care facilities.
Access to the complete list.
U.S. Justice Department sues NYS DOH Over Medicaid Home Care Transition
The U.S. Department of Justice this week filed a lawsuit against the New York State Department of Health over the transition of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) to a single fiscal intermediary, Public Partnerships LLC.
In the suit filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of New York, the DOJ asserts the New York Department of Health (“DOH”) “knowingly participated in an unlawful scheme” with PPL that “has funneled millions of dollars of extra revenue to PPL…a substantial portion of which is ultimately reimbursed through the Medicaid program…” DOJ accused New York’s Department of Health of conducting a “sham bid process.”
CDPAP is a New York State Medicaid program that services chronically ill or physically disabled individuals who have a medical need for help with daily activities or who require skilled nursing services. The program allows individuals to choose and hire their own personal caregiver.
According to the Department of Health, approximately 220,000 people in New York State are authorized for CDPAP services following the April 1, 2025 transition to a single statewide fiscal intermediary, with over 235,000 personal assistants in the CDPAP system.
In 2024 New York initiated a move to streamline the CDPAP home care program, transitioning to a single statewide intermediary as a cost cutting measure. PPL was awarded the contract and in April 2025, the transition was implemented. In October 2025, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Department affirmed the New York County Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the award of the statewide Fiscal Intermediary (SFI) contract to PPL.
The DOJ suit names PPL, Dr. James McDonald, in his official capacity as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health; and Amir Bassiri, individually and in his official capacity as Medicaid Director at the New York State Department of Health.
“New York’s backroom deal with PPL has cost taxpayers millions of dollars and cast countless Medicaid patients to the curb. Today’s action is the latest reminder that the Justice Department is mobilizing every available tool to protect taxpayer-funded programs from fraud and corruption,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said in a statement.
In a statement, the state Department of Health pushed back against the claim.
“This baseless complaint is the latest attempt by Washington Republicans to score political points at the expense of vulnerable New Yorkers. It is inexcusable and completely lacking in merit,” said Cadence Acquaviva, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health. “The fact of the matter is this administration saved CDPAP from a fiscal crisis by removing hundreds of wasteful administrative middlemen. In the process, we reduced costs for state and federal taxpayers while protecting home care for those who need it.”
In The News-New York City
Comptroller DiNapoli: NYC Executive Budget Currently Balanced, But Risks Threaten
Long-Term Fiscal Stability
City Should Do More to Address Structural Gap Made Worse by One-Time Actions
New York City’s $124.7 billion fiscal year (FY) 2027 Executive Budget, released in May, continued the city’s recent efforts to detail the substantial spending challenges it faces while identifying ways it plans to manage them, but defers decisions to achieve structural balance into the future, according to a report released this week by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
“New York City’s resilient economy continues to bolster revenues to help the city sustain its essential programs and services,” Comptroller DiNapoli said. “Still, the city needs clearer plans to strengthen reserves and address spending growth, particularly for its largest cost drivers. Proactive and prudent fiscal choices in the coming year will help the city maintain services and expand its broad economic base.”
According to the Comptroller, the city closed its FY 2027 budget gap without major new taxes but relied heavily on several one-time measures. Eliminating the proposed property tax increase, estimated to generate $3.7 billion in FY 2027, left a significant shortfall in the budget. The city partly addressed this by slowing planned spending growth, implementing cost containment initiatives, and securing additional state aid.
The city’s savings program identified agency-level reductions previously targeted in February, including $1.1 billion in FY 2027, and added new cost containment measures for the city’s growing educational and social service programs totaling nearly $1.2 billion in FY 2027. More detail is still needed on how these savings will be achieved and sustained, Comptroller DiNapoli noted.
In addition, the city received more than $2.7 billion in additional state aid to fund city spending for childcare, education, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and public health measures in FY 2027. However, much of this funding will have to be renegotiated next year.
The Comptroller warned that the city’s use of one-time actions could worsen its structural budget gap if not addressed through recurring measures in the coming years. These actions include a $1.2 billion write-down of a prior year labor reserve that will be used to fund a $900 million increase in expense prepayments in FY 2027, as well as the re-amortization of its unfunded pension liability for four of its five pension systems, yielding $1.6 billion in FY 2027 savings and providing similar recurring savings through FY 2032.
The city’s latest financial plan estimates annual average budget gaps of $8.6 billion annually through 2030, highlighting the differences between recurring revenue and spending that will need to be managed.
Comptroller DiNapoli’s office identifies additional budget risks averaging approximately $1.8 billion annually from FY 2028 to FY 2030, primarily from pension costs, overtime and rising social services, partially offset by better-than-projected property and personal income tax revenues. When adjusted for these risks, the city’s projected budget gaps rise to roughly $10.4 billion annually in the out-years of the financial plan.
To strengthen its long-term fiscal position, Comptroller DiNapoli asserted, the city should formalize and publish policies on annual reserve contributions based on the city’s fiscal performance and set clear guidelines for when these funds may be used. The city should also continue to monitor and expand on its savings initiatives. These measures would put the city in a better position to manage an economic slowdown or future emergencies.
Briefs
Attorney General James Files First Lawsuits Under Rent Stabilization Compliance Program
New York Attorney General Letitia James this week filed the first lawsuits against two New York City landlords as part of her office’s compliance program focused on enforcing “de facto” rent stabilization in buildings throughout New York City.
Following the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974, de facto rent stabilization was created as a judicial doctrine to allow buildings with five or fewer units built before 1974 to become rent stabilized if the building was altered – legally or illegally – to have six or more units. Since its launch in May 2025, the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) de facto rent stabilization compliance program has successfully prevented 26 evictions and secured the return of 91 units to rent stabilization.
The OAG is suing two New York City landlords, John Anderson and Claudette Henry, for failing to register units in Brooklyn as rent-stabilized with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) following prior court decisions that have found the buildings to be de facto rent stabilized. The lawsuits also allege that the landlords attempted to illegally evict tenants from their units and violated tenant harassment laws. Attorney General James is asking the court to order the buildings’ units returned to rent stabilization and refund all tenants who were overcharged with interest. Attorney General James is also seeking civil penalties for failing to register the buildings with HCR.
The lawsuits filed against Anderson and Henry are the first to be filed under OAG’s de facto rent stabilization compliance program. After receiving compliance letters from OAG, Anderson and Henry failed to return their buildings’ units to rent stabilization. Attorney General James alleges that the landlords failed to register their buildings with HCR and attempted to illegally evict tenants from their units. The lawsuits further allege violations of tenant harassment laws, including a case of retaliation against a tenant for requesting a rent-stabilized lease.
SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect Programs Expanded in FY2027 Budget
Governor Kathy Hochul detailed the expansion of SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect, included in the FY2027 Enacted Budget, to help prepare adult learners for success in the workforce. Through SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect, New York State provides free tuition, fees, books and supplies for eligible adults ages 25-55 to pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field.
The 2026-27 Enacted Budget expands SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect to include associate degrees in supply chain/logistics, air traffic control and aviation management, and emergency management. The Enacted State Budget also made it easier for adult learners to return to college to pursue nursing if they have a prior degree in a different field.
The 2026-27 Enacted Budget also expands SUNY Reconnect to include eligible associate degree programs at bachelor’s-granting institutions. At SUNY, this includes: Alfred State, SUNY Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill, SUNY Canton, SUNY Delhi, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), SUNY Farmingdale State College, SUNY Maritime College and SUNY Morrisville. At CUNY, CUNY Reconnect will be expanded to support associate programs at: New York City College of Technology, Medgar Evers College and College of Staten Island. Eligible education programs are:
- SUNY Advanced Manufacturing
- Air Traffic Control and Aviation Management* (newly added for 2026-27 Academic Year)
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cybersecurity
- Engineering
- Emergency Management* (newly added for 2026-27 Academic Year)
- Supply Chain/Logistics* (newly added for 2026-27 Academic Year)
- Technology
- Nursing and Allied Health Fields
- Green and Renewable Energy
- Pathways to Teaching in Shortage Areas
Hochul Administration Announces Tentative Five-Year Labor Agreement with Public Employees Federation
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that her administration has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Public Employees Federation (PEF) for a five-year term running until April 1, 2031. The agreement is subject to ratification by union membership, which includes approximately 60,000 New York State employees in a wide variety of professional, scientific and technical titles.
PEF members’ salaries will rise in each of the five years of the agreement, with boosts to location pay and several other unit-specific payments. Members also will gain paid pre-natal leave. The agreement also includes reasonable updates to health insurance that will reduce costs for members by eliminating certain co-pays and providing incentives to use in-network providers, according to the Hochul Administration.
Mayor Mamdani Names Celeste Ramirez President of the School Construction Authority
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani named Celeste Ramirez President of the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA). The School Construction Authority is responsible for designing and building public schools for New York City’s students.
Ramirez returns to the SCA after previously serving in multiple leadership roles at the agency before founding and leading her own construction management firm. She most recently served as the President and CEO of CARA Construction Management, Inc., the construction consulting firm she founded in 2004. Prior to founding CARA, Ramirez spent 15 years with the SCA, serving in several leadership roles, including Manager of Operations for the SCA’s legal and real estate divisions. She began her public service career in the Office of the Bronx Borough President.
New Era for Teamsters as Government Monitorship Set to End
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (the Southern District) this week jointly filed a motion to amend the Final Order and the Consent Decree, ending federal government monitorship of the union.
In 1989, the Southern District and the Teamsters entered into a consent decree to eliminate organized crime influence within the union and ensure fair, democratic, member-driven elections. Over the past 37 years, the Teamsters have conducted nine elections and successfully eliminated corrupt elements from the union.
Since the election of Sean M. O’Brien as Teamsters General President in 2021, the Teamsters have built a new system of rigorous checks and balances in which every member complaint is investigated, and when appropriate, referred to legal authorities.
“Today marks a new era in the Teamsters. After 37 years, this filing marks an end to the longest monitorship of any union, corporation, nonprofit, or public entity in the history of the United States. Over the past four years, we have developed a system of internal controls and created a culture of vigilance in our union. Our efforts have proven that we can police our own, and the controls we have put in place are more stringent than any labor organization in the country,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.
The motion requires approval by the Federal District Court and the Honorable Loretta Preska, who has overseen the consent decree monitorships since 2002.
Earlier this year, the Honorable Barbara Jones (ret.), the Independent Review Officer, conducted an assessment of the International Union’s internal disciplinary systems and audit functions and concluded that the union has “developed the institutional tools, processes, and procedures necessary to adequately detect, investigate, and resolve instances of major corruption” and has the capacity to assume responsibility for internal processes.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
9/11 Solidarity Network Helps Claimants
Obtain Vital Documentation for 9/11 Compensation Fund Claims
It is becoming increasingly difficult for some claimants to find documents to prove their presence at an eligible location so many years after the attacks. In fact, last year, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) went to the State Legislature for assistance in verifying its members’ 9/11 service. On September 10th, Governor Kathy Hochul signed chapter 390 of the Laws of 2025 which establishes a presumption that a New York City Police Pension Fund member participated in the rescue, recovery, and clean-up operations at the World Trade Center, unless their employer proves the contrary by competent evidence.
The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) understands this challenge and encourages individuals who were present in the exposure zone to gather and save their proof of presence documents now, even if they aren’t currently ill or planning to file a claim.
To help members of the general public verify their 9/11 service, Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno LLC’s affiliate Pitta & Baione LLP is developing the 9/11 Solidarity Network, a system where members can act as witnesses for one another in verifying 9/11 service. The network utilizes sworn Witness Presence Statements from people who can attest to a claimant’s presence which are accepted as secondary evidence by the VCF when primary documentation is unavailable.
By participating, individuals can provide the crucial testimony a fellow member might need while also securing potential support for their own future claims. This initiative formalizes the collective memory of its members to help ensure no one is left to prove their presence alone.
For more information regarding the 9/11 Solidarity Network, please contact Pitta & Baione at 844-901-1262.
Coming Up
New York State
*There are no meetings at the State level at the time of this publication*
New York City
Monday, June 22nd
Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 10 a.m.
Committee on Veterans, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, June 23rd
Committee to Combat Hate, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 1 p.m.
Committee on Children and Youth, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, June 24th
Committee on Women and Gender Equity,
250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Committee on General Welfare, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Committee on Technology, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Education, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Thursday, June 25th
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Committee on Criminal Justice, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 10 a.m.
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 12:30 p.m.
Committee on Land Use, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Friday, June 26th
Committee on Workforce Development, Committee Room – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Economic Development, Committee Room – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Women and Gender Equity, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.
Committee on Hospitals, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.
Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.