Politicseric schneidermannew york board of electionsnew york voting problems

New York Attorney General Investigating Primary Voting Irregularities

About 120,000 registered Democrats were dropped from voter rolls in Brooklyn.
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By 

Reporter, HuffPost

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) announced on Wednesday that his office is opening an investigation into alleged voter irregularities during New York's Tuesday primary.

About 120,000 Democrats suspiciously disappeared from voter rolls in Brooklyn, according to NPR. An analysis of voter data by WNYC found that none of New York City's other boroughs saw such a significant decline in the number of Democrats and just seven of the state's 62 counties saw a decrease. The head of the New York City Board of Elections said so many voters were dropped in a small time frame because retirements and illness of staff members at the agency caused it to fall behind in maintaining its voter rolls, and it purged a high number of voters as it caught up with the backlog.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who lost the New York Democratic primary to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, called the irregularities "absurd" and a Sanders campaign spokesman described them as "a disgrace" on Wednesday.

"I am deeply troubled by the volume and consistency of voting irregularities, both in public reports and direct complaints to my office's voter hotline, which received more than one thousand complaints in the course of the day yesterday," Schneiderman said in a statement. "That's why today, we have opened an investigation into alleged improprieties in yesterday's voting by the New York City Board of Elections. If necessary, we will initiate inquiries in additional areas of the State where voting irregularities appeared unusually high."

"Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and if any New Yorker was illegally prevented from voting, I will do everything in my power to make their vote count and ensure that it never happens again," he continued.

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) announced on Tuesday that he would audit the Board of Elections. Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) described what had happened as a "purge" and said the errors indicated the board needs "major reforms."

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Before You Go

Bernie Sanders And Hillary Clinton Face Off
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders participate in the debate hosted by NBC News and YouTube on Jan. 17, 2016, in Charleston, South Carolina. (credit:Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders greet the audience before the PBS NewsHour Presidential Primary Debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Feb. 11, 2016. (credit:Tasos Katopodis/AFP/Getty Images)
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Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Feb. 6, 2016. (credit:Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton listens as Bernie Sanders speaks during the MSNBC Democratic debate at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Feb. 4, 2016. (credit:Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Feb. 11, 2016. (credit:Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders listens as Hillary Clinton (not in picture) speaks during the MSNBC Democratic debate at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Feb. 4, 2016. (credit:Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Feb. 11, 2016. (credit:Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders field questions from moderators Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell (right) during the Democratic debate hosted by NBC News and YouTube on Jan. 17, 2016, in Charleston, South Carolina. (credit:Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters during her caucus night event in the Olmsted Center at Drake University on Feb. 1, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. (credit:Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders participate in the MSNBC Democratic debate at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Feb. 4, 2016. (credit:Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Feb. 11, 2016. (credit:Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at the New Hampshire Democratic Party's 2016 McIntyre Shaheen 100 Club Celebration on Feb. 5, 2016. (credit:Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton participate in the PBS NewsHour Democratic presidential candidate debate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Feb. 11, 2016. (credit:Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders chat following the Democratic debate hosted by NBC News and YouTube on Jan. 17, 2016, in Charleston, South Carolina. (credit:Andrew Burton/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the MSNBC Democratic debate at the University of New Hampshire on Feb. 4, 2016, in Durham, New Hampshire. (credit:Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders shake hands as they participate in the MSNBC Democratic debate at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Feb. 4, 2016. (credit:Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
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Candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders gesture during the Democratic presidential candidate debate in Charleston, South Carolina, on Jan. 17, 2016. (credit:Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders shake hands before participating in the MSNBC Democratic debate at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Feb. 4, 2016. (credit:Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
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