By Michael Malaszczyk
Nassau County officials hit out at the New York State Board of Elections on Thursday for setting voter registration program dates that conflict with Jewish days of observance.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said that New York State set a state program date for Oct. 10, and directed Nassau to host local programs on one of two Saturdays – Sept. 28 or Oct. 5.
“These dates would conflict with observant Jews who would like to register and vote because they do not do any work on Saturdays, and that’s also true of Seventh-Day Adventists,” Blakeman said. “Unfortunately, the Saturday dates are pursuant to state legislation and cannot be changed without legislative action. But the state board of elections can change the Thursday date, which is in their discretion to a Sunday.”
That Thursday date is also problematic for Jewish voters, according to Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence), presiding officer of the Legislature.
“Not only is that Thursday date a workday, it is also, as it happens, the day after Rosh Hashanah,” Kopel said. “It is a fast day. Some people don’t feel well – they’re fasting, they can’t get out. They’re not up to it. And the other only other day provided was Saturday. It just doesn’t work.”
Blakeman indicated he would contact New York State Attorney General Letitia James about changing the Oct. 10 date.
“This is being done under the umbrella of being inclusive and creating diversity and opportunity to vote, which we support,” Blakeman said. “I am going to be communicating with Attorney General Letitia James, who agrees with me that diversity and inclusion are very important in our elections. And we are asking her to intervene with the state Board of Elections and direct them to change their date from a Thursday to a Sunday.”
Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip (R-Great Neck), a former soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), emphasized the importance of Saturdays – Shabbat – for observant Jews.
“Shabbat is a day for many Jewish people, they are resting, they are going to synagogues,” Pilip said. “They don’t work, they don’t use phones, or they don’t do anything that typically they do on a regular day. So I really hope and expecting for people to be sensitive and to allow them to take apart and to participate in the election process.”
The New York State Board of Elections did not immediately return a request for comment.
