Elections in New York: Long-dead voters cast their ballots in one of Brooklyn's counties

The completed voting ballots were mailed to the City Electoral Commission on behalf of at least two long-dead Democratic voters. It happened in a district in southern Brooklyn, where the intense race for a seat in the City Council is still ongoing. New York Post.

The legitimacy of absentee ballots has become a problem in race for a seat in the city council in the 43rd arrondissement. Here, Republican Brian Fox is ahead of incumbent city councilor, Democrat Justin Brannan by only 255 votes. At the same time, at least 1 absentee ballots have not been counted yet. The county includes Bay Ridge, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst.

But now the legitimacy of some of the absentee ballots is in doubt. Election Commission records show that someone requested a ballot in September on behalf of Francesca Patinella, a Democratic supporter born in 1926, who died on March 24, 2010. On September 28, the ballot was sent back, that is, someone voted on behalf of a long-dead woman.

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Another ballot was sent to Yvonne Absi, who died on March 2, 2012. Absi was also born in 1926. Her request for an absentee ballot was also registered in September. On October 4, the Election Commission received her ballot back with voting marks.

A day later, the counting commission declared Ebsi's ballot "invalid" because the voter "died."

It is unclear if Patinella's ballot was invalidated at some point.

The election commission does not comment on the situation

A representative of the Election Commission has not yet commented on the situation with the ballots received on behalf of the deceased voters.

Fox's headquarters claims to have identified at least 11 absentee ballots that asked for the names of deceased voters, including Patinella and Absi. Fox said the fact that his headquarters had discovered the problem aroused suspicion in him. After all, falsification with the help of absentee ballots can tip the outcome of the election in favor of Brannan.

“Needless to say, I still wonder why Justin Brannan is still so confident in his victory... He seems to know that he was chosen by people whose ballots are still in sealed ballot envelopes. And in light of our detection of fraud, I ask him to come back from Puerto Rico and join me to take a deep look at these newsletters, ”Fox said.

“I have no doubt that Fox will say that we stole the votes as soon as everything is counted and we are declared the winners,” Brannan said.

Brannan’s headquarters noted that the permanent lists for absentee ballots include the names of many elderly voters. And they automatically receive ballots, and sometimes ballots come after they die. Such unreturned ballots are not considered votes.

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Fox is still ahead of Brannan - 12 votes against 145. These figures do not include 11 absentee ballots. Of these, 890 were sent by registered Democrats; 1 Republicans 622 - conservatives; 1 are members of the Party of Working Families and 245 are independent voters and / or members of other parties.

A spokesman for the commission said that the counting of absentee ballots for the Brannon-Fox race will begin on Monday 15 November.

The high percentage of Democratic mailed ballots gives Brannan hope that he will succeed.