Suffolk County Board of Elections Refuses to Register Voters Who Registered to Vote Through the DMV’s Online Registration System
Contact: Erik Opsal, Brennan Center for Justice, 646–292–8356; erik.opsal@nyu.edu
Suffolk County, New York – The Brennan Center for Justice has learned that the elections board in charge of Long Island’s voters has rejected valid voter registration applications submitted through the New York DMV’s online system.
The Brennan Center sent two letters today to the Suffolk County Board of Elections and the New York State Board of Elections protesting the unlawful policy and requesting immediate action to ensure each eligible voter is able to cast a ballot that counts on Election Day.
Lee Rowland, counsel in the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program, stated: “It is disconcerting that the Suffolk County Board of Elections has improperly rejected valid voter registrations filed by eligible New York voters. Suffolk County residents should not be wrongfully turned away tomorrow simply because they took advantage of this new online registration process. Unfortunately these voters risk being wrongfully disenfranchised in tomorrow’s election without immediate corrective action from election officials.”
The state DMV, in conjunction with the Governor’s office, developed an online voter registration process in August 2012 that permits voters to submit a complete and secure voter registration online, including a signature pulled from the DMV’s existing records. The Brennan Center joined Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to launch this important new initiative expanding access to voter registration for New Yorkers.
Click here for more information about New York’s recent reforms expanding access to voter registration, including the DMV’s new online system.