Ramapo Town Attorney To Seek Stay Of Judge's Order To Throw Out Town Vote
RAMAPO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - The ballots for Ramapo's recent municipal election have yet to be counted, and the Town Board wants them preserved.
As WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported, town attorney Michael Klein will seek to stay a judge's order of throwing out the vote on whether to create election districts in the Rockland County town.
Ramapo Town Attorney To Seek Stay Of Judge's Order To Throw Out Town Vote
"We at least have the option to decide what's in the best interest of the town of Ramapo, whether we should promptly schedule a new election or the underlying issue should be litigated before the court," he said.
New York State Judge Margaret Garvey invalidated the election, held last week, on the grounds of "confusion over improperly written absentee ballots," and conflicting instructions for potential voters that may have affected turnout.
The ruling came in response to a petition by residents Michael Parietti and Robert Romanowski.
Romanowski favors the change to the ward system and says the vote was plagued by confusing rules.
"It created lots of chaos and confusion at the polls," he said.
Romanowski wants a new election and the ward system to give greater representation to all residents. The proposal was widely considered to be a way to dilute the influence of the town's powerful
Orthodox Jewish voting bloc.
Earlier in October, a judge ordered the voting machines in Ramapo to be impounded days after the contentious vote was held to restructure the Town Board.
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