News - Local polticians make final push

The Saratoga County Republicans will be campaigning door-to-door for Roy McDonald and Tony Jordan and will be making phone calls for the rest of the Republican candidates.

“We have a busy few days coming up but we are heading into the home stretch,” John “Jasper” Nolan, Saratoga County Republican Committee Chairman said. “We are doing everything we can to make a difference.”

On Election Night, the Saratoga County Republicans will be meeting at the Saratoga Holiday Inn on Broadway as they await election results.

As for the Saratoga County Democrats, they will be meeting at the Gideon Putnam Resort, which will also be Kirsten Gillibrand’s headquarters for election night.

Until Tuesday, the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee will be working hard making phone calls and even traveling out of state for last minute campaigning, Al Turkheimer, chairman of the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee said.

“We are urging everybody to get out and vote. It’s been an exciting couple of months and I am looking forward to reenergizing the Democratic party and moving on to better times for Democrats and the country as a whole,” he said.

This election year, voters will also decide on a proposition which will amend Article 5, section 6 of the Constitution. The Proposal reads “The proposed amendment would eliminate the requirement that veterans who were disabled in the actual performance of duty in any war be receiving disability payments from the United States Veterans Administration in order to qualify for additional points on a civil service examination for the appointment or promotion. Under the proposed amendment, the disability must only be certified to exist by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The proposed amendment would also update the reference to the ‘United States Veterans Administration’ to instead refer to the ‘United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ to reflect current federal government structure. Shall the proposed amendment be approved?”

In order to be hired for many New York State and local government jobs, applicants must take a civil service test and are judged for the job based on points scored on the test. According to the League of Women Voters of New York, disabled veterans receive a defined amount of extra points on civil service tests but must qualify for the extra points by receiving disability benefits from the United States Veterans Administration and the Administration must verify that the veteran’s disability exists at the time of the civil service test.

If the proposed amendment is approved, veterans do not need to be receiving benefits at the time of the test; the Administration must only provide proof that the

disability exists.

The League of Women Voters supports the proposal as this would be recognition of a veteran’s service to the United States and serves to make military service more attractive to people who are thinking of joining the military.

Polls will be open on Nov. 4 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.