New York Appellate Court Allows Governor Cuomo to Cancel the Special Election for Queens Borough President, thus Paving the Way for President Trump to Cancel the November 2020 Presidential Election
Dao Yin, Candidate for Borough President, Criticizes His Four Opponents
for their Failure to Challenge Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order Cancelling the Election
NEW YORK, NY, May 27, 2020. – Today, the New York Appellate Division rendered a decision upholding Governor Cuomo’s executive order cancelling a Special Election for Queens Borough President, thereby disenfranchising the 2.3 million residents of Queens.
“The courts have allowed Governor Cuomo to cancel this election and help his cronies under the guise of an artificial emergency, thus leaving the residents of Queens without an elected Borough President for the entire year,” said Aaron Foldenauer, the attorney representing Dao Yin. “Now, because of the Coronavirus, this decision gives President Trump the legal ammunition he needs to cancel the November 2020 Presidential election.”
“The Appellate Division concluded that it was only a ‘minimum deviation’ from the law for an unelected Queens Borough President to serve for an entire year,” said Foldenauer, Yin’s attorney. “Pursuant to this decision, if President Trump wishes to seize power later this year, he can readily argue that for him to serve only one extra year as President also constitutes a ‘minimum deviation’ from the law given the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.”
Dao Yin is on the ballot in the Democratic Primary election slated to occur on June 23, but the winner of that primary and a subsequent general election in November would not be eligible to begin serving as Queens Borough President until January 1, 2021.
“It is unfortunate that my four opponents in the Democratic Primary stood idly by and allowed Governor Cuomo to cancel this election and take away the right for us to have an elected borough president during these difficult times,” said Dao Yin. “My decision to bring this lawsuit against Governor Cuomo’s unconstitutional misconduct demonstrates that I am the only candidate fighting for all the residents of Queens.”
“I am disappointed by the failure of Elizabeth Crowley, Donovan Richards, Anthony Miranda, and Costa Constantinides to take action in support of our right to vote,” Dao Yin added, referring to his four opponents in the Democratic Primary. “Their failure to take a stand against the cancellation of this election shows that they do not want every resident of Queens to vote, which is the opposite of what this country stands for.”
The Borough President performs both legislative and executive functions in overseeing the daily operations of government in Queens.
In papers filed with the court, Dao Yin’s attorney argued that cancelling an election is unprecedented and violated both the United States Constitution and the New York State Constitution. The Court did not address any of these arguments in its decision.
As a result of the Court’s decision, one candidate for Queens Borough President in the Special Election, James “Jim” Quinn, is out of the race entirely, given that Mr. Quinn did not seek the Democratic nomination.
“Jim Quinn had a message focusing on public safety that deserved to be heard,” said Dao Yin, the first-ever Asian-American candidate for Queens Borough President. “Now that Jim Quinn is out of the race, I will proudly carry on his message and ensure that we work hard to keep the residents of Queens safe and healthy.”
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Born and raised in China, Dao Yin is a first-generation immigrant to the United States. Dao Yin has been a Community Activist in Queens for nearly two decades. His experience in the fields of finance, technology, and accounting makes him uniquely qualified to become the next Queens Borough President.
More information about Dao Yin and his policies can be found at http://www.daoyin.nyc/.
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