Attention New York lefties: Thanks to an obscure provision in the recently enacted state budget law, Bernie is on the brink of being booted off the ballot in the June 23 primaries.

The board of elections will decide tomorrow. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-new-york-primary-ballot_n_5e9f2059c5b6b2e5b838c914

Why it matters: Sanders supporters want to accumulate enough delegates to lock in reforms like the disempowerment of super delegates.

Plus, his presence can benefit down-ballot progressives like @JamaalBowmanNY and @ZohranKMamdani.

. @NYPANetwork's @gwalbro, who has led grassroots efforts to keep Sanders on the ballot, smells a power grab by Cuomo.

“If they cancel, this is going to be horrific,” he warns, citing potential for intra-party dissension to hurt Biden.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi would not elaborate on reasoning behind inclusion of key provision in the budget.

He denied political motives though.

“We’re fighting a pandemic and have no time for conspiracy theories."

Here are letters that @gwalbro organized demanding Bernie stay on the ballot: https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/athena/files/2020/04/21/5e9f1d15c5b6a486d07fdf93.pdf

https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/athena/files/2020/04/21/5e9f1d21c5b63c5b58753229.pdf

They've had some effect: @jayjacobs28 is reluctantly willing to play ball if Bernie gets involved.

Sanders backer @SenGianaris: “If Bernie says he wants to stay on, they’re not going to take him off because that would be asking for trouble."

Moumita is a 2016 Sanders delegate and 2020 candidate to be a delegate. I'm hearing a lot of this from New York's activist left. https://twitter.com/disruptionary/status/1252670348035751942?s=21

Update: Andrew Spano, the other Democrat on the state board of elections, tells me he's undecided and sees both sides of the issue.