NY GOP Rep Challenges Certain Ballots Cast From County Jail
An incumbent GOP House candidate in a tight New York race is seeking to halt the counting of ballots cast by incarcerated voters in the Westchester County Jail.
Rep. Mike Lawler, who’s running to continue representing New York’s 17th Congressional District, and a voter are contesting votes from individuals who are registered at the facility.
The petition against the Westchester County Board of Elections says there are currently 135 people who registered using the jail’s address, but 60 of them had “previously registered to vote from other addresses in other New York congressional districts according to public records.”
“Upon information and belief, 104 individuals of the 135 who registered at the Westchester County Jail returned mail-in ballots” for the general election, the petition says, but it’s likely that some voters weren’t eligible to cast a ballot for the 17th District or other public positions in the northern New York county.
Lawler is asking a state judge to stop the counting and processing of absentee ballots cast by voters registered at the Westchester County Jail, in order to allow for a court review of the challenged ballots. The candidate also wants the court to set those ballots aside while the court confirms the voters’ eligibility.
The lawsuit says plaintiffs aren’t trying to disenfranchise incarcerated voters, but acknowledges that the results of this particular race “will be exceedingly close, with only a small number of votes separating the candidates.” Lawler is running against Democratic opponent Mondaire Jones.