The Attorney General successfully sues the Rensselaer County Board of Elections.
Attorney General Letitia James of New York State announced Monday that her office had prevailed in a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (BOE). The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that Troy lacked sufficient early voting locations, particularly for communities of color.
Judge Adam W. Silverman of the Rensselaer County Supreme Court ruled that the BOE’s refusal to locate a site in a centrally located area of Troy must be reversed. Rensselaer County has been directed to select a site for a centrally located Troy facility by June 9.
“This decision is critical to our efforts to ensure equal access to the polls for all New Yorkers,” Attorney General James stated. “With states across the country attempting to curtail this most fundamental right and make voting more difficult, our work to protect and expand voting rights in New York is more critical than ever. I will always fight to ensure that every New Yorker has a voice at the polls.”
AG James filed a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County BOE in May for failing to provide adequate and equitable access to early voting polling locations, as required by New York’s Early Voting law. She asserts that the BOE disregarded criteria mandated by law when determining polling locations.
She claims that despite repeated requests from officials and members of the community, the BOE has refused to establish a site that is easily accessible to Troy residents. According to James, the Collar City is home to the majority of the county’s Black, Hispanic, and lower-income communities.
