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New York City's Board of Elections will acknowledge it broke the law and be making serious changes in its practices, according to the proposed settlement of a legal fight over the purge of more than 200,000 voters from city rolls.
After many Brooklyn residents arrived at the polls during last year's presidential primary to learn they were deemed ineligible to vote, the good government group Common Cause New York filed suit. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office joined the litigation.
But rather than slug it out in Brooklyn federal court, the sides have been working on a settlement for months.
Now, a proposed pact slated for filing Wednesday would mandate reforms in the city election agency.
According to WNYC, which first reported the proposed deal, the terms include the Board of Elections acknowledging it broke state and federal law with the purge, and scrutinizing every voter registration removed since July 2013. Another term is the board devising a plan in 90 days for the maintenance of voter rolls.
In a statement, Schneiderman said the city's Board of Elections "illegally purged over 200,000 New Yorkers from the rolls, violating the law and New Yorkers' trust in the institutions meant to protect their rights."
Schneiderman said the proposed settlement "would overhaul NYCBOE's practices for maintaining voter rolls, ensuring that the issues that led to the purges are addressed, and establishing frequent monitoring and oversight. My office will continue to protect all voters' access to the polls and continue to fight to expand voting rights."
A Board of Elections spokeswoman said she could not comment on the matter until a judge signed off on the settlement.
NYDaily News
After many Brooklyn residents arrived at the polls during last year's presidential primary to learn they were deemed ineligible to vote, the good government group Common Cause New York filed suit. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office joined the litigation.
But rather than slug it out in Brooklyn federal court, the sides have been working on a settlement for months.
Now, a proposed pact slated for filing Wednesday would mandate reforms in the city election agency.
According to WNYC, which first reported the proposed deal, the terms include the Board of Elections acknowledging it broke state and federal law with the purge, and scrutinizing every voter registration removed since July 2013. Another term is the board devising a plan in 90 days for the maintenance of voter rolls.
In a statement, Schneiderman said the city's Board of Elections "illegally purged over 200,000 New Yorkers from the rolls, violating the law and New Yorkers' trust in the institutions meant to protect their rights."
Schneiderman said the proposed settlement "would overhaul NYCBOE's practices for maintaining voter rolls, ensuring that the issues that led to the purges are addressed, and establishing frequent monitoring and oversight. My office will continue to protect all voters' access to the polls and continue to fight to expand voting rights."
A Board of Elections spokeswoman said she could not comment on the matter until a judge signed off on the settlement.
NYDaily News