Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement in response to reports of voters receiving erroneous absentee ballots containing incorrect voter information. The NYC Board of Elections has said that the contracted vendor is responsible for the errors.
"There are already far too many malevolent actions that have made it harder for people to vote - from suppressive laws to a President actively and intentionally undermining confidence in our elections - to add systemic incompetence to the barriers preventing New Yorkers from casting their ballot. It is imperative that we rapidly re-issue ballots to every affected New Yorker. Beyond that, the vendor responsible must be investigated, and possibly terminated and replaced.
"This is far from the first time that the Board of Elections has failed to meet its mandate of facilitating a smooth, stable, secure election. As in many areas, this was an issue exacerbated by the pandemic, not created by it - and while the logistical and funding challenges around this election are real, they do not excuse clear mismanagement in a system overly reliant on political appointees and badly in need of reform. While the President makes every effort to prevent votes and voters from being counted, it could not be more critical that the Board demonstrate basic competence to instill basic confidence that our fundamental right and responsibility to vote will be protected."