Voters Challenged in NY State Race

[brooklynite]

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Before Election Day has even arrived, Republicans in one New York state Senate district have started challenging the right of some registered voters to cast ballots.

The dispute is shaping up to be a replay of the last race between Republican Nicholas Spano and Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Two years ago, Spano won re-election over Stewart-Cousins by just 18 votes but not before a recount that took three months.

...snip...

Two deputy commissioners at the Westchester County Board of Elections, Republican Melissa Nacerino and Democrat Jeannie Palazola, said that the process of verifying all the challenged addresses could not be completed before Election Day, but that files would be kept and the votes could be challenged after the election.

To check an address, a first-class letter is sent to each person. If the letters come back undelivered, police are asked to visit the address and see whether the registered voter lives there.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/print?id=2617437

[PATRICK]

1. Having seen some close recounts around here

This is typical of the intense fighting over each single ballot. They went through it before so this plan, while beyond the pale, is not surprising. Lacking any way of influencing the voters in real terms expect these procedural gambits in some shape or form everywhere in the nation. I can see how it might be a replay balancing out this and that, but an intense effort should put the Dem way over the top without need of procedural desperation.

The luxury of having many fewer ways the GOP can cheat is a challenge to New Yorkers to make it happen on behalf of other national races where the scale and type of fraud is much more daunting.

[lapislzi]

2. The Spano-Stewart Cousins contest was beyond close

Spano's margin of "victory" was 18 votes (yes, 18). 500 absentee ballots went uncounted in an election that wasn't decided until well into the new year. But Ms Stewart Cousins is on fire this year!