NY taxpayers footing $25M bill for 2024 primary election — despite Trump, Biden already being presumptive nominees

New York taxpayers will spend tens of millions of dollars on the upcoming primary election — despite President Biden and former President Donald Trump being the presumptive nominees for their respective parties.

The NYC Board of Elections estimated it will cost about $25 million to administer the 2024 presidential primary — for the eight days of early voting beginning Saturday, as well as the April 2 election.

That’s to pay for the printed ballots, testing voting machines and securing polling places, among other costs, the BOE said.

With low turnout, it should be easy money for poll workers, who get paid $250 per day.

Election supervisors get paid $350 per day.

While Trump, 77, is the presumptive Republican nominee and seems all but set to face Biden, 81, in November, other candidates will also appear on the primary ballots — even some who have already suspended their campaigns.

According to the state Board of Election, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and Nikki Haley will appear on the GOP ballot along with Trump.

Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson will appear on the Democratic ballot along with Biden, though only the president submitted a slate of delegates for the party convention.

Suspending a campaign does not automatically remove one’s name from the ballot, a spokesperson for the state BOE said .

There will be 1,213 polling sites open starting at 6 a.m. on April 2, with 143 sites open for the eight days of early voting.

About 35,000 poll workers will be at voting sites on April 2, the city BOE said.

Under a state law approved in 2019, New York must hold a week of early voting before Election Day.

Staffing is by far the largest expense, said BOE Deputy Executive Director Vincent Ignizio.

“As dictated by law, we will run the election we are charged to run,” Ignizio said.

The Nassau County Board of Elections said it will cost $2.5 million to do the primary.

“It is the law. It is not like we have a choice in the matter,” said state Democratic chairman and Nassau County leader Jay Jacobs.

The bill to hold the elections will likely exceed $50 million statewide, given how much the city and Nassau County alone are paying.

Because of the once-in-a-century COVID-19 pandemic, the presidential primary wasn’t held until June in 2020, along with congressional and state legislative races.

Many people, fearful of infection, voted by mail ballot instead of in person.

Typically, there are nine days of early voting. But only eight will be held for this primary because the Easter holiday falls two days before the April 2 primary.

State Conservative Party chairman Gerard Kassar blasted the policy of sticking the taxpayers with a considerable cost for an unnecessary primary.

“It’s a waste of money. There should be a way to cancel the election. There should be an escape clause to make the primary go away. The Conservative Party would support such a change,” Kassar said.

“Trump and Biden have clinched the nomination and other candidates have withdrawn. Twenty five million dollars, the amount New York City is spending to hold the presidential primary, is a lot of money. You can double that total to $50 million statewide,” he said.