The following is the first paragraph from a recent court order from a Federal Judge lambasting the Empire State for disenfranchising military voters and refusing to set an election calendar to allow for enough time for overseas voters to cast ballots:

Nothing is more critical to a vibrant democratic society than citizen participation in government through the act of voting. It is unconscionable to send men and women overseas to preserve our democracy while simultaneously disenfranchising them while they are gone. To some extent, that is precisely what New York has done. Having had ample opportunity to correct the problem, it has failed to find the political will to do so. While matters of comity ordinarily counsel federal courts to refrain from becoming embroiled in state election schemes, New York has left the court no choice. If federally-guaranteed voting rights are to be protected, the court must act.

As a result of the order, the court set a primary election date that would allow for adequate time for New York election officials to meet the 45 day mailing deadlines of the MOVE Act.  It is an outrage that it took almost 2 1/2 years, thousands disenfranchised and a federal Court to force New York to do the right thing.

Full story here.

http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/Legal/News/2012/01_-_January/Judge_moves_up_state_primary_date_to_comply_with_federal_law/