The state Attorney General’s office is reviewing the recent Saddle Rock village election after Mayor Dan Levy acknowledged altering the voter rolls.
A spokesperson said the office has not received any formal complaints but is looking into the situation informally.
Levy said he made changes to the voter roll before the March 18 election. He said he crossed out the names of people he believed were dead or no longer living in the village in red marker, but was not trying to help any political group.
Nassau County Board of Elections officials said New York State law prohibits altering the poll book in any way. Chief Clerk Donna Nogid said they made complaints and later sent a clean voter roll to replace the marked one.
Nassau County Board of Elections Chief Clerk Donna Moggid said she had received complaints that Levy had altered the voter roll, so county elections officials delivered an unmarked voter roll to replace the altered one.
Efforts to reach Levy were unavailing.
Some residents reported that election officials crossed out their names and required them to fill out affidavit ballots to vote.
Lanu Vanolphen, who is 18 and voting for the first time, reported that election workers had removed his name from the list when he got there. He said he could still vote after signing an affidavit confirming his residence.
Eyal Shachi, another resident, stated that they also marked his daughter’s name and that she had to sign an affidavit before voting. He said the situation made her feel uncomfortable.
A poll worker, who did not want to be named, said many names appeared to be crossed out in the voter roll. The worker said it was unusual compared to past elections.
Levy, who has been mayor since 2011, said he is open to the attorney general reviewing the election and does not believe anything improper took place.
Levy and three other incumbents on his slate were disqualified from appearing on the ballot after the board of elections found that six of the slate’s eight pages of petition signatures lacked a required witness signature, as required by state election law.
Levy then announced he was not seeking reelection. Two incumbents – Trustee Hal Chadow and Village Justice Julia Gavriel – won their elections through write-in votes.
Levy said he decided not to run because the tension in the village was too much.
“It’s not a good place where the parties took the village to. The village used to be a happy, peaceful place. The dichotomy that was created was artificial,” he said
Kambiz Akhavan won the mayor’s race, defeating Trustee Robert Kraus.
Kraus said the situation raises concerns about how the election was handled and should be looked into.
The Saddle Rock village clerk declined to comment on the situation.
