A school board election in New York has been ordered to be rerun after officials uncovered allegations that election ballots were deliberately destroyed and removed to influence the outcome.
The controversy centers on the Hempstead Union Free School District on Long Island, where District Clerk April Keys is accused of tearing up ballots and helping remove absentee votes to benefit incumbent board president Victor Pratt.
According to an election petition, surveillance footage allegedly showed Keys throwing ripped-up ballots into a dumpster. She is also accused of providing absentee ballots to Pratt for disposal.
Pratt won the election by just 81 votes. While he received only 27% of the machine-counted votes, he secured 87% of the absentee ballots, raising concerns about the integrity of the election.
Three days after the vote, Keys was placed on administrative leave. District Superintendent Gary Rush reportedly discovered a garbage bag containing torn ballots. Although the bag was later discarded by a custodian during a lock change, investigators were able to recover it after being directed to its location.
The recovered ballots reportedly included votes cast for both Pratt and his main challenger, Gwendolyn Jackson.
Jackson’s campaign also alleged that of the 120 completed early mail ballots it submitted to the district clerk’s office, only 79 were ultimately counted.
Investigators further claim surveillance footage showed a custodian leaving Keys’ office carrying a bag containing visible ballots. The petition alleges Keys instructed him to use a different staircase to avoid attracting attention from security personnel.
Pratt was also reportedly seen on surveillance carrying approximately 125 absentee ballots. He denied recalling the incident during the investigation. Authorities are additionally examining allegations that some ballots were completed using the same handwriting, raising possible forgery concerns.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has launched a criminal investigation into the election. Meanwhile, Betty Rosa has ordered that a new election be held within 60 days.
To oversee the rerun, Neil Boyd has been appointed temporary district clerk. Authorities have not yet announced a date for the new election, while Keys could face criminal charges if the allegations are substantiated.
