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Discussion on establishing a polling site at Rikers Island

3:25:41

·

43 sec

Council Member Brewer and Claire Stottlemyer from Legal Aid Society discuss the possibility of establishing a polling site at Rikers Island. They address the legal requirements and interpretations surrounding voting access for detained individuals.

  • Stottlemyer clarifies that Legal Aid Society believes no law change is necessary to establish a polling site at Rikers.
  • They discuss the limitations of the current absentee ballot system for detained voters.
  • Council Member Brewer commits to continuing work on this issue.
Gale A. Brewer
3:25:41
Thank you.
3:25:42
In terms of Rikers, do you, legal aid attorneys?
3:25:45
Are you also in agreement that we'd have to change the state law or something in order to get a polling site there?
3:25:51
Because that seems to be what I'm running against.
Claire Stottlemyer
3:25:54
We are not in agreement.
3:25:55
We're aware of no such law that says the law would need to be changed to get a polling site.
3:25:59
We think that the law says that they are required to provide absentee ballot voting, but we see that the absentee ballot voting system fails.
3:26:06
So we think that a a polling site is required in order to not fail those voters.
3:26:11
And I I thought it was interesting today that, executive director Ryan didn't say that the law doesn't allow it, but that their interpretation is that the law only requires the absentee ballot process.
3:26:22
Right.
Gale A. Brewer
3:26:22
So we'll keep working on it.
3:26:23
We will.
Paul Seamus Ryan
3:26:23
Thank you.
Gale A. Brewer
3:26:24
Thank you very much.
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