U.S. Department
of Justice
SI supp- Pidot v. NY State Bd of Elections
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
PHILIP PIDOT, NANCY HAWKINS and
STEVEN AXELMAN, individually and as representatives of eligible Republican Party voters in Suffolk,
Nassau and Queens Counties within New York’s Third Congressional District,
Plaintiffs,
v.
NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF
ELECTIONS; SUFFOLK COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS; NASSAU COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS; BOARD OF ELECTIONS
IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK; PETER KOSINSKI and DOUGLAS
KELLNER, in their official capacities as Commissioners and Co-Chairs of the New York State Board of
Elections; ANDREW J. SPANO and GREGORY P. PETERSON, in their official capacities as Commissioners
of the New York State Board of Elections; TODD D. VALENTINE and ROBERT A. BREHM, in
their official capacities as Co-Executive Directors of the New York State Board of Elections,
Defendants,
JACK MARTINS,
Intervenor-Defendant,
TOM SUOZZI,
Intervenor.
Civil Action No.
1:16-CV-00859-FJS-CFH
SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT OF INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES
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The United States of America (“United States”) respectfully submits this Supplemental Statement of
Interest pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 517, which authorizes the Attorney General to attend to the
interests of the United States in any pending lawsuit. This matter continues to implicate the
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (“UOCAVA”), 52 U.S.C.
§§ 20301 et seq., as amended by the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, Pub L. No. 111-84,
Subtitle H, §§ 575-589, 123 Stat. 2190, 2318-2335 (2009), a statute over which Congress accorded
the Attorney General broad enforcement authority. See 52 U.S.C.
§ 20307(a).
This Court’s August 17, 2016, judgment required Defendants to conduct a Republican primary election
for New York’s Third Congressional District on October 6, 2016. See Judgment, Aug. 17, 2016, ECF
No. 66. Because that date impacts New York’s ability to comply with UOCAVA’s 45-day advance
ballot transmission requirement for the November 8, 2016, federal general election, this Court
further required New York to seek a waiver from the Department of Defense (“DOD”), pursuant to 52
U.S.C. § 20302(g)(2)(B)(ii), from that advance
transmission requirement.1
Id.
Pursuant to the Court’s order, New York applied to the DOD for an undue hardship waiver from
UOCAVA’s 45-day advance transmission requirement for the November 8, 2016, federal general election
in New York’s Third Congressional District. See Decl. of Robert A. Brehm, Ex. D, ECF No. 89-6 at
1. As required by UOCAVA, New York’s waiver application proposed a comprehensive plan for
providing UOCAVA voters sufficient time, given the circumstances, to receive, cast, and return
their ballots in time to be counted. 52 U.S.C.
1 The 45th day before the November 8, 2016, federal general election is September 24, 2016.
2
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§ 20302(g)(1)(D). That plan included a proposed extension of the state law deadline for receiving
timely cast ballots by UOCAVA voters and New York’s promise to seek ratification of that extension
by this Court. See Decl. of Robert A. Brehm, Ex. D, ECF No. 89-6 at 9. On August 29, 2016, the
DOD granted the State’s hardship waiver request. See Letter of New York State Board of Elections,
ECF No. 99.
On August 31, 2016, and in conformity with the State’s comprehensive plan, Defendant New York State
Board of Elections moved this Court for an order extending by eight days the state law deadline for
receiving timely cast and timely postmarked UOCAVA ballots for the November 8, 2016, federal
general election for New York’s Third Congressional District. See Letter Motion of New York State
Board of Elections, ECF No. 106.
In light of this Court’s August 17, 2016, judgment, and the DOD’s August 29, 2016, grant of New
York’s undue hardship waiver application, the United States respectfully informs the Court that it
does not oppose New York’s motion.
The United States also respectfully notes that New York’s motion appears to implicate this Court’s
Supplemental Remedial Order in United States v. New York, No. 1:10-cv-1214 (N.D.N.Y. Oct. 29,
2015), which incorporates a calendar for the November 8, 2016, federal general election in New York
State. See Supplemental Remedial Order, United States v. New York, No. 1:10-cv-1214 (N.D.N.Y.
Oct. 29, 2015), ECF No. 88 at 6 (Sharpe, J.) (noting that “portions of the Calendar could change as
a result of future legislative enactment or court orders”); see also Decl. of Ernest A. McFarland,
Ex. A, ECF No. 64-2 (same).
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Respectfully submitted,
DATED: September 1, 2016
RICHARD S. HARTUNIAN VANITA GUPTA
United States Attorney Principal Deputy Assistant
Attorney General
Northern District of New York Civil Rights Division
/s/ Ernest A. McFarland
JOHN D. HOGGAN, JR. – 511254 T. CHRISTIAN HERREN, JR.
Assistant United States Attorney REBECCA J. WERTZ
United States Attorney’s Office RICHARD DELLHEIM
James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse ERNEST A. MCFARLAND – 515101
445 Broadway, Room 218 NEAL UBRIANI – 520192
Albany, N.Y. 12207 RACHEL EVANS – 520206
Attorneys, Voting Section Civil Rights Division Room 7265-NWB
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530
4
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on September 1, 2016, I served the foregoing on all counsel of record
via the Court’s ECF Filing System.
/s/ Ernest A.McFarland
ERNEST A. MCFARLAND – 515101
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division - Voting Section Room 7265-NWB
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530
Phone: (202) 307-6552
Email: ernest.a.mcfarland@usdoj.gov
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