Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week used his emergency powers to let all New Yorkers vote by absentee ballot in the June 23 primary. With no clear sign of how much the lockdowns will ease even by year’s end, it’s entirely possible that the state, and much of the nation, will wind up relying on vote-by-mail even in November.

Even as the United States “reopens,” the coronavirus will remain an active concern; experts warn in particular of a second wave as the weather cools in the fall. So some “social distancing” will have to continue, particularly for older Americans — who make up a lot of poll workers everywhere.

We’re not fans of vote-by-mail or drop-off-your ballot systems, but pandemics require flexibility. Nor is it at all clear that, despite Democrats’ hopes and Republicans’ fears, “universal absentee” balloting favors the left. Two-thirds of the states already allow no-excuse absentee voting; four-fifths have early in-person voting.

The system has drawbacks, including ballots that go missing and much slower reporting of final results. And we’d miss the communal experience of voting with our neighbors.

What’s crucial is for states to work it out well in advance, to avoid the chaos that marked Wisconsin’s voting the other week. The reform could prove a disaster if rickety agencies like the city’s Board of Elections don’t have plenty of time to figure out how to pull it off.

The top priority is ensuring that the 2020 elections go off smoothly. America doesn’t need another crisis.