A Quarter Of BK Absentee Primary Ballots Marked Invalid: Report

BROOKLYN, NY — A quarter of mail-in ballots cast in Brooklyn for June's primary elections were invalidated for widespread postmarking problems and other issues, according to numbers reported this week.

About 30,000 of the 120,000 absentee ballots filed in Kings County for the June 23 primary were initially disqualified by the Board of Elections through no fault of the voters, King County Democrat leader Rodneyse Bichotte told the New York Post.

The staggering statistic comes weeks after party leaders got wind that postmarking and mailing issues might invalidate thousands of ballots in New York City, particularly in Brooklyn.

The 30,000 invalidated ballots also include those with missing signatures or delayed deliveries, according to the Post.

The mail-in mess has created delayed results for races still facing narrow margins nearly two months after Election Day and has officials concerned whether the New York Board of Elections is equipped to handle likely larger swath of absentee votes in November.

"The Board of Elections can do better and must do better," Mayor Bill de Blasio said when asked about the issues this week. "I've long...had deep concerns about the Board of Elections and how it's structured. I think we need to move to a different approach, just create a modern, management-focused agency to do this work better in the future."

A court ruling this week could change the status of at least some of the invalidated ballots, though the Board of Elections has said it will appeal the decision.

A federal judge ruled Monday that absentee ballots missing postmarks must be counted after several candidates and voters sued the BOE and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Before the ruling, ballots without a postmark were only to be counted if they were received before June 23, despite emergency orders from the governor that let voters send in ballots up until the day of the election.

De Blasio said Tuesday he believes the BOE can get its act together by November.

"...I am certain they can learn from this and be prepared for the general election," he said. "Three months is a long time...It can be done."

Read the full Post story here.