By Jeff Wice with Jennifer Hutz & Alexis Marking.
N.Y. VOTING RIGHTS ACT LITIGATION
By Jeff Wice, Alexis Marking and Jordan Karpoff
N.Y. VOTING RIGHTS ACT LITIGATION
Orange County: Clarke et al. v. Town of Newburgh
In January, three Black and three Hispanic residents of Newburgh filed this lawsuit, claiming the town’s at-large election system for Town Board elections has prevented Black and Hispanic residents from electing candidates of their choice, in violation of the N.Y. Voting Rights Act.
by Jeff Wice & Alexis Marking
REDISTRICTING
Onondaga County: County Legislative Map Challenge Moves To Trial
Background: After months of delay, the challenge to the 2021 Onondaga County legislature’s redistricting map is finally moving to trial later this month. In Ryan et al v. McMahon, the plaintiffs are challenging the GOP-drawn map over violations of the new criteria included in the state Municipal Home Rule Law.
In the litigation, the county defendants … <Read More>
by Jeff Wice & Alexis Marking
REDISTRICTING
Orange County Legislature to Hold Public Hearing Tomorrow
The Orange County Legislature will hear from the public tomorrow at a public hearing for comment on a draft county legislative map to be used beginning in the 2025 county legislative elections. The hearing will take place in the county legislature’s chambers at 255 Main Street in Goshen, NY starting at 5:00 PM. The hearing can be viewed … <Read More>
by Jeff Wice & Alexis Marking
REDISTRICTING
Orange County Legislature Inches Forward With New Map
In what may be the final county legislative redistricting process in the state, the Orange County Legislature has approved one map to move forward to a public comment period before a public hearing is scheduled on Tuesday, August 27th at 5:00 PM. After disagreeing for weeks on how to proceed, the legislature’s Rules Committee broke a logjam … <Read More>
by Jeff Wice & Alexis Marking
ELECTIONS
State Board of Elections Sued Over the Equal Rights Amendment’s Ballot Language
A new law enacted last year requires ballot language for voter referendum questions in New York State to be written in plain language at “no higher than an eighth-grade reading level.” The ballot language for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which was approved to appear on the November ballot, has … <Read More>