Tuesday, December 01, 2009
140 registered voters not full-time residents
Sullivan County sheriff's deputies have determined that roughly 140 people who registered to vote in Bethel during the last election don't live there full time.
The Board of Elections asked deputies to investigate after a citizen group challenged numerous registrations from Hasidic residents, who stay in the bungalow colonies during the summer.
Deputies checked nine locations where people registered addresses and found only one person who seemed to live there year-round. Other places were padlocked and the electricity and water were shut off, Undersheriff Eric Chaboty said.
"They didn't live there full time," Chaboty said. "The rest is up to the Board of Elections to determine. We just gave them the information. They have to determine now if it follows their criteria."
Hasidic groups commenced a registration drive in the summer after the United Talmudical Academy became embroiled with town officials over the construction of a shul on Schultz Road. Roughly 95 people who were on the challenged list voted in the last election. Those ballots were set aside and now won't be opened because they will not affect the outcome of the town race.
However, the question of whether the newly registered voters can vote in future elections is still an issue the Board of Elections commissioners must rule on.
Roughly 155 registrations have been challenged on the basis of residency.
Both sides have indicated they plan to press the issue, and it might ultimately be thrown into Supreme Court later this winter.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091201/COMM/912010312/-1/NEWS
The Board of Elections asked deputies to investigate after a citizen group challenged numerous registrations from Hasidic residents, who stay in the bungalow colonies during the summer.
Deputies checked nine locations where people registered addresses and found only one person who seemed to live there year-round. Other places were padlocked and the electricity and water were shut off, Undersheriff Eric Chaboty said.
"They didn't live there full time," Chaboty said. "The rest is up to the Board of Elections to determine. We just gave them the information. They have to determine now if it follows their criteria."
Hasidic groups commenced a registration drive in the summer after the United Talmudical Academy became embroiled with town officials over the construction of a shul on Schultz Road. Roughly 95 people who were on the challenged list voted in the last election. Those ballots were set aside and now won't be opened because they will not affect the outcome of the town race.
However, the question of whether the newly registered voters can vote in future elections is still an issue the Board of Elections commissioners must rule on.
Roughly 155 registrations have been challenged on the basis of residency.
Both sides have indicated they plan to press the issue, and it might ultimately be thrown into Supreme Court later this winter.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091201/COMM/912010312/-1/NEWS
Comments:
Post a Comment
