New York is set to grant Attorney General Letitia James "unprecedented power over elections processes" in battleground districts, according to an election attorney in the Empire State.
New York's 2022 John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act states that certain counties and jurisdictions must seek approval, or "preclearance," from the attorney general before making certain pre-election decisions, such as changes to polling locations and hours.
The requirement is set to take effect on Sept. 22 and will affect New York City, as well as nine counties on Long Island and north of New York City. These jurisdictions are determined by multiple factors, including whether these counties have committed civil rights or voting rights violations in the last 25 years.
Joseph T. Burns, a partner at the law firm Holtzman Vogel and a New York-based election lawyer, wrote in an opinion piece for the New York Post on Monday that this change potentially grants New York Attorney General Letitia James the power "to fundamentally alter how New Yorkers run their elections."
Burns wrote: "The new rule … will give AG Letitia James unprecedented power over election processes in some of the most hotly contested congressional districts in the nation, including those on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley."
He noted that "proponents of the law argue that the preclearance process will protect the civil and voting rights of New York's minority voters," but Burns argued, "In reality, it's a massive power grab by the AG — and a sly attempt to subvert the state Constitution's guarantee of bipartisan control of election boards."
Burns also claimed that the law undermines the state's "constitutionally mandated system of bipartisan election administration," and essentially grants James "veto power over some of the most basic and noncontroversial decisions and functions of a local Board of Elections."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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