Judge delays New York's congressional and state senate elections

NEW YORK -- A judge has delayed New York's congressional and state senate elections, throwing the primaries into chaos.

As it stands now, New Yorkers will have to go to the voting booth twice this year to cast ballots in the primaries, and it's going to cost the state a whole lot of money, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported Friday.

Steuben County Judge Patrick McAllister said primary elections for congressional and senate seats will be held on Aug. 23, leaving the primaries for statewide races (governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller) and state assembly seats to be held on June 28, unless the legislature takes action to hold all the primaries in August.

The move came after the state court of appeals declared the congressional and senate district lines unconstitutional and ordered a special master to redraw them.

The new district lines are expected to be redrawn by May 20.

Sources told CBS2 that, as of now, the legislature is not planning to change the election dates and this would not be the first time voters had to vote twice in an election cycle.

The problem is that holding two elections doubles the expense. It costs about $30 million to hold each election.