Ramapo, NY – Amid petitions filed by local activists over absentee ballot deadlines and chaos at multiple polling stations over who was, in fact, allowed to vote, a New York state Supreme Court Justice ordered that all ballots in Tuesday’s referendum election in Ramapo be impounded until the court has had time to sift through legalities.
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LOHUD.com (http://lohud.us/1vsbXg7) reports that Justice Margaret Garvey issued the order following a chaotic day in Ramapo that saw a heavy voter turnout in the town in the election that could swing the power and size of the Town Board.
Voters were being asked to decide on whether the Town Board should be increased from 4 to 6 members, and if they were in favor of dividing the town into 6 wards, a proposal that as drawn sharp criticism from the town’s Orthodox Jewish and African American communities.
The controversy began on Monday when it became clear that unregistered voters 18 or older would be allowed to vote as long as they could prove U.S. and local residency.
This action caused local activists Michael Perietti and Robert Romanowski to not only file a petition with the court seeking clarification, but to ask as well that the court clarify the cutoff date for absentee ballots.
Typically, absentee ballots are counted as long as the they are postmarked the day before the election.
In this case, election administrator, Town Clerk Christian Sampson announced prior to the election that only absentee ballots arriving at the Town Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Tuesday would be counted.
In accordance with Garvey’s order, all ballots have been transferred to the Rockland County Board of Elections until the court has a chance to rule on the petitions.
So much for democracy
preserve ramapo will stop at nothing to try to get there way
Preserve Ramapo know that they lost after the close to 100% turnout in the frum parts of the town, so they are trying their luck in court now. Maybe a judge will take away the right to vote from those ugly Jews…
Preserve Ramapo, time to give up.
I received about 6 calls telling me to vote “no” because the Jewish people will be destroyed if the “yes” people win. As a holocaust survivor’s adult child, I resent this threat. Of course, I voted “yes” because I refuse to be intimidated. We are our own worst enemy. The papers and national news are full of articles about the fraud in Ramapo. Now the world sees us as crooks. You can’t blame Preserve Ramapo since they didn’t threaten voters. It’s impossible to get names removed from these robo lists!
I voted no, but I certainly saw the opportunity for fraud. At my polling place, where there are normally more than 10 people working, there were 5. They did not have the folders to put the ballots into. When I got to the machine that reads the ballots I was told the machine was not working, and I should put my ballot into a slot where it would be counted after the polls closed. I’m all for the old lever machines.
I went to vote, it was peaceful and orderly but very busy, they ran out of affidavit ballot and after twenty minutes a new batch was sent, most of the people who came for the affative ballots came with IDs ready. I got like 4/5 robo calls for NO and like 2 for yes.
All in all the No friendly area had a turn out of approximately of about 5000 more than Yes
Preserve Ramapo is holding on too it’s last meaningful recourse. They don’t have the votes, therefore all they have left is playing shtick.