Malone sues Board of Elections, alleges improper ballot collection

BY MICHAEL RICONDA

New City – In a continuation of the drama surrounding Dennis Malone’s race for Clarkstown highway superintendent, the embattled candidate is now filing suit to eliminate Working Families Party absentee ballots.

Though there is no allegation of illegality with the Board of Elections, Malone’s complaint alleges the number of Working Families absentee ballots vastly outnumbered regular ballots and the ballots’ collectors might have acted improperly in securing an allegedly suspicious excess of what was expected.

Unofficial tallies show Malone winning 45 votes on the Working Families line, beating out 29 write-in ballots. However, Malone’s attorney Alan Goldson stated Working Families absentee ballots numbered at 140, a highly unusual tally. Democratic Election Board Commissioner Kristen Stavisky agreed the number of ballots was suspicious.

“I think it’s unusual,” Stavisky said. “You don’t expect the number of absentees to exceed the number cast in the primary or general election.”

Though Legislator and Ballard supporter Frank Sparaco could not comment on the specifics of the ongoing case, he defended Ballard by arguing Malone was using the case as a means to suppress voter turnout.

“All we did in the Ballard camp was try to facilitate people to vote, which is what everybody should be doing,” Sparaco said.

After a court hearing on September 17, the Board of Elections was tasked with examining all absentee ballot envelopes. The court will then make a preliminary determination on the necessity of reviewing particular envelopes based on indicators such as a signature on the outside.