New York state's presidential primary election will be held April 28, 2020.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law Friday, despite again noting that he'd like one earlier in the year.

"Although I believe that New Yorkers would be better served, and more empowered, by a presidential primary occurring earlier in the year, I recognize that certain national political realities prevent the state legislature from passing legislation to accomplish that goal," Cuomo said in a statement.

Cuomo urged lawmakers to take up primary consolidation legislation when the session reconvenes in January. He said consolidating the primaries is a matter of “good government” and could boost voter turnout.

New York’s primaries had been split by federal court order to comply with a law requiring timely access to ballots for military and overseas voters. The legislature, divided between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and Assembly, could not reach a compromise to move the state primaries out of September.

Lawmakers earlier this year approved a measure consolidating the state and congressional primaries to June after Democrats gained control of the state Senate.

Cuomo, in the statement, wrote the “same logic drives” his push for consolidating the presidential primary with the state and congressional races.

“Having two primary elections, roughly eight weeks apart, will reduce voter participation and cost taxpayers an additional $20 million,” he said. “In addition, managing two separate elections will also burden an already troubled Board of Elections system. The State of New York is stronger when all New Yorkers participate in its democratic system, and a consolidation of all primaries is the only way to achieve that goal.”

Democratic lawmakers this year are once again expected to face primary challenges in 2020, with much of the focus placed on incumbents in the state Assembly.

For now, lawmakers have not embraced the proposal to consolidate the primaries.