Thursday, November 26, 2009
Bethel voting results unchanged
The challenged voters in Bethel were not plentiful enough to make a difference in the outcome of the race for councilperson in Bethel.
About 90 ballots of challenged voters were set aside and remain unopened. But the other absentee ballots, more than 200 of them, were opened November 19, and slightly widened the gap between councilperson Denise Frangipane and her rival, Benji Freihling. Her lead stands at about 130 votes. Thus, there are not enough challenged votes to change the election.
On November 16, lawyer Gerald Orseck went before Judge Frank LaBuda and asked him to dismiss the challenges to the vote because the voters were informed of the challenges a day later than they should have been. But now that the point is moot, Orseck has withdrawn the motion.
However, that does not mean there is an end to the matter. It must still be determined whether the Hasidic voters who listed buildings in bungalow colonies as their local addresses will be allowed to remain as registered voters in the town.
Lawmaker David Sager, who challenged the voter registrations and who founded the group Voters for Election Integrity (VEI), said that the group plans to move ahead with the challenges. He said, “It’s been our contention all along that we weren’t challenging a simple election, we’re challenging the process and asking what are the requirements of a valid voter in a community.”
VEI’s position has been that bungalow colonies, which are unheated and uninhabited for much of the year, do not qualify as addresses for voting purposes under state law which requires “fixed, permanent and principle residences.”
Faith Kaplan, a Sullivan County Board of Elections commissioner, said that the board would be making a determination some time in the future, but has not set a date.
Frangipane said of the election results in an email, “This was a long and, at times, difficult election. I am glad to be through the process. The voters of Bethel have spoken and I am looking forward to continuing to work on their behalf. I now have four years to work with the board and the community to move forward on the issues and ideas for which I was elected.”
Freihling said he was thankful for the support he got from residents, and he would be working hard in the future to further the interests of the town and its businesses. He also said it was very possible he would be running for political office in the future.
http://www.riverreporter.com/issues/09-11-26/news-bethel.html
About 90 ballots of challenged voters were set aside and remain unopened. But the other absentee ballots, more than 200 of them, were opened November 19, and slightly widened the gap between councilperson Denise Frangipane and her rival, Benji Freihling. Her lead stands at about 130 votes. Thus, there are not enough challenged votes to change the election.
On November 16, lawyer Gerald Orseck went before Judge Frank LaBuda and asked him to dismiss the challenges to the vote because the voters were informed of the challenges a day later than they should have been. But now that the point is moot, Orseck has withdrawn the motion.
However, that does not mean there is an end to the matter. It must still be determined whether the Hasidic voters who listed buildings in bungalow colonies as their local addresses will be allowed to remain as registered voters in the town.
Lawmaker David Sager, who challenged the voter registrations and who founded the group Voters for Election Integrity (VEI), said that the group plans to move ahead with the challenges. He said, “It’s been our contention all along that we weren’t challenging a simple election, we’re challenging the process and asking what are the requirements of a valid voter in a community.”
VEI’s position has been that bungalow colonies, which are unheated and uninhabited for much of the year, do not qualify as addresses for voting purposes under state law which requires “fixed, permanent and principle residences.”
Faith Kaplan, a Sullivan County Board of Elections commissioner, said that the board would be making a determination some time in the future, but has not set a date.
Frangipane said of the election results in an email, “This was a long and, at times, difficult election. I am glad to be through the process. The voters of Bethel have spoken and I am looking forward to continuing to work on their behalf. I now have four years to work with the board and the community to move forward on the issues and ideas for which I was elected.”
Freihling said he was thankful for the support he got from residents, and he would be working hard in the future to further the interests of the town and its businesses. He also said it was very possible he would be running for political office in the future.
http://www.riverreporter.com/issues/09-11-26/news-bethel.html
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