Cahill Condemns Disenfranchisement of Student Voters

Releases letters to the Dutchess County and New York State Boards of Election

October 19, 2012

Kingston – Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D – Ulster, Dutchess) condemned the actions of Dutchess County Board of Elections Commissioner Erik J. Haight today, over his attempt to prevent college students from voting by removing those who failed to include the name of their dormitory on their voter registration from the voting rolls.

“The actions you have taken to disenfranchise students residing on the college campuses Dutchess County, including Bard College and the Culinary Institute of American do not comport with New York State Election Law. The decision to subject these individuals to more vigorous registration requirements than are generally applied to registrants residing in Dutchess County is an unacceptable and illegal infringement of voters’ rights and should be reversed immediately,” said Assemblymember Cahill in a letter to Commissioner Haight.

Assemblymember Cahill also called on the New York State Board of Elections to step in to eliminate any confusion on the part of individual county commissioners on how they should proceed.

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