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StateofNewYork
STATEBOARDOFELECTIONS
r~~:~rA.Walsh
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Phone:
518/474-6367
Fax:
518/486-4546
1111,1
CommissionerEvelyn
J.
Aquila
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Commission=e::_r
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ToddD.ValentineExecutiveDirectorRobertA.BrehmExecutiveDirectorKimberlyA.GalvinSpecialCounselPaulM.Collins_______;D::_:e=pu=,,'ounsel
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February1,2012Hon.GaryL.SharpeUnitedStatesDistrictCourtfortheNorthernDistrictofNewYorkJamesT.FoleyUnitedStatesCourthouse445Broadway,Room441Albany,NewYork12207Re:UnitedStatesv.StateofNewYork,et.alCivilActionNo.10-CV-1214(GLS)DearJudgeSharpe:IamfilingthisresponseonbehalfofNewYorkStateBoardofElectionsCommissionersJamesA.Walsh,GregoryP.PetersonandCo-ExecutiveDirectorToddD.Valentine.ThisCourt'sorderofJanuary27,2012,requires,inpertinentpart,thattheNYSBOEshall"providethecourtwithaproposednon-presidentialfederalprimaryelectioncalendarforallstatutoryandadministrativeelection-relateddeadlinesbaseduponthenon-presidentialfederalprimaryelectiondatesetbythecourt."ThestaffatNYSBOEanditsCommisisonershavehadextensivemeetingsandconversationsconcerningthemeaningoftheCourtsdirective.Unfortunately,wecannotagreeonthesameandarethereforelefttofileseparateresponsesbaseduponourunderstandingofthesame.
It
isourpositionthattheCourtisherebyrequiringthattheNYSBOEinsertthatJune26,2012dateintothecurrentstatuortyframeworkandillustratefortheCourtwhattheeffectofthatdatewillbeasitisappliedtotheelectioncalendar.WerespectfullysubmitthatwehavenotinterpretedthatordertomeanthatinpromulgatingsaidcalendarthatyouareeitherrequiringorexpectingtheNYSBOEtomakewholesalechangestothosestatutesinanefforttocureanypossibleinfirmitiestherein.WhileitisanticipatedthatsomemembersoftheBoardfeelthatthecraftingofalegislativeorjudiciallyorderedremedyiswhatisbeingsought,ANYofthepotentialissuesthatwehavehighlightedcouldberesolvedinamyraiadofdifferentways,andaministerialbodysuchastheNYSBOEshouldnotbeproposingasingularremedyforanyorallofthemnotdirectlyrelatedtothe45daymailingdeadlineorthe
 
certificationoftheballottobemailed.
It
wouldbeanunprecedentedeventfortheNYSBOEtoimplementacalendardeviatingfromthestatutorilyrequiredtimeframeswithoutpriorlegislativeaction.Aswehaveallconceded,theNewYorkStateElectionLawisacomplexbodyofintertwiningstatutesanddates.Thevastmajorityoftheseeventsarestatutorilydeterminedbytheinsertionofthedateitselfandwillnotrequireanyadditionaljudicialorlegislativealteration.Specifically,mostoftheelectionrelatedactivityisstatutorilymandatedintermsofaperiodoftimebeforetheelectionandtheywill"automatically"adjustbaseduponthenewdate.Unfortunately,thetimingconstraintsofthisyearhavecausedeventhemostautomaticofadjustmentstobecomesuspectanditisourpositionthatany"bestguess"atsolutionsbeingmadeinavacuumareatbestprematureandultimatelycouldbejustflatoutunworkable.ThisisparticularlytrueinlightoftheonlyknownfactaboutcongressionalredistrictingthusfaristhatNewYorkStatewillbelosingtwocongressionaldistrictsandtheboundriesofthoseremainingwillallbealtered.The"newlycreated"boundriesofthecongressionallinesnowbeingdraftedhavenotbeenreleasedinevenadraftformat.Oncethosecongressionallineshavebeendrafted,enactedandpre-clearedbytheDepartmentofJustice,therewillstillbesomesignificantamountoftimerequiredforthecountyboardsofelectiontodotheelectionworknecessarytoconfigurethosenewdistrictsandcreatethelistofenrolledvotersineachdistrictwhichisrequiredforthepetitionprocesstocommence.Withoutsuchlists,itcannotbedeterminedwhichvoterscanlegallysignwhichpetitionsbeingcirculatedforballotaccess.Many,ifnotalIofthestatutorychangesthatmightbesuggestedtodaytoremedyinfirmitieswithinthecurrentlytimedcalendar,mayverywellhavetoberedoneorrevisedbasedupontheactualcompletionoftheredistrictingprocess.Inthesamevein,shouldtheredistrictingprocessbecompletedinthenearfuture,manyofthesuggestedchangeswouldnotberequiredatall.Unfortunately,thecompletionoftheredistricitingprocessisanecessarilyathresholdissuethatmustberesolvedbeforeanymeaningfulstatutoryalterationcanbegin.Asdirected,weareattachingacalendarforthecourtshowingwhateffecttheinsertionofaJune26,2012primarydatehasuponit.Onthecalendarwehaveidentifiedthoseeventsthatwearesuggestingbealteredpursuanttothecourtorderwitha"CO".WebelievethattheentireBoardisinagreementonthoseitemstobemarkedandmodifiedassuch.Markedas"WP-PI"arethosepotentialissuesidentifiedbyComomissionersWalshandPetersonthatmayrequirejudicialorlegislativeaction.Asalways,westandreadytoassisttheCourtandthepartiesinanywaythatwecan.Respectfullysubmitted,KimberlyA.alvinSpecialCounselBarRollNo.505011
 
TABLEOFPOLITICALCALENDAREVENTSADJUSTEDTOCOMPLYWITHCOURTORDERIMPLEMENTINGTHEMOVEACTTheFederalMOVEActrequiresmilitaryandspecialfederalballotstobesentout45dayspriortoanelectionforfederaloffice.Here'sasummaryofthekeychanges.Thefollowingtableshowstheeventsthatoccurinthepoliticalcalendargroupedbytopic.ThelefthandcolumnindicatesthesectionsoflawthatwouldneedtobesupersededinordertocomplywiththeCourtOrdertosendoutthemilitaryballotsbythe45
th
daybeforeboththefederalprimaryandthegeneralelection.ThetablealsoappliesthestatutoryruleofmovingfilingdatesifthelastdayforfilingshallfallonaSaturday,Sundayorlegalholiday,thenextbusinessdayshallbecomethelastdayforfiling.ElectionLaw§1-106
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