NEW YORK, NY (09/13/2018) (readMedia)-- In response to news that dozens of New Yorkers were purged from voter rolls on primary day, Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY, issued the following statement:
"It is startling to hear from dozens of voters across the state, who have gone in to vote, only to hear they are removed from the rolls. In 2017, Common Cause/NY settled a lawsuit with the NYC Board of Elections, in which the Board agreed to conduct thorough annual audits of lists and adopt a procedure to ensure eligible voters are not removed in error. We have also brought a lawsuit against the New York State Board of Elections challending New York's treatment of inactive voters. Common Cause/NY and our partners will continue to monitor and investigate the situation, and if we do find that our settlement was violated, we will hold the NYCBOE accountable -- making sure voters get the justice they deserve."
Background:
In October 2017, the New York City Board of Elections (NYCBOE) settled a lawsuit with Common Cause/NY, admitting it broke state and federal law when it purged nearly 200,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the presidential primary in April 2016.
In the settlement, NYCBOE agreed to:
Place the NYC BOE under a consent decree that will last at least through the November 2020 election.