| It just keeps getting worse for camp Tedisco. The man who could not legally vote for himself because he does not live in the district has been challenging votes left and right in hopes of keeping the vote tally close for as long as possible. Today, hhis lawyers challenged yet another absentee ballot, this one from the former Congresswoman from the district and now sitting US Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand. Why? Because they allege that she shouldn't have voted absentee because she was in Columbia County on election day and should have voted at a machine. It sounds ridiculous because, ya know, it is.
There is another problem with Team Tedisco's argument, fatal one, if you will, as well. According to Senator Gillibrand, while she was in the district on election day, she was never in Columbia County. From a statement from Gillibrand;s office released this evening:
"The Republican's challenge is frivolous and without merit. This is part of their larger attempt to disenfranchise legal Democratic voters and delay the inevitable Democratic victory in the 20th. Every day that the national Republicans waste with their dishonest stalling tactics is another day Upstate New Yorkers are deprived their Member of Congress. Senator Gillibrand looks forward to working with Scott Murphy in Congress to support President Obama plans to turn this economy around and create good paying jobs."
NYS election law says that an elector must intend to be out of the COUNTY on Election Day when the elector submits the absentee ballot or requests the application.
Senator Gillibrand requested and completed an absentee ballot because she did not expect to be able to vote at her polling location since votes were scheduled in the Senate that day. Furthermore, Republican claims that she was in the county are false. She was not in Columbia County on Election Day.
This ridiculous challenge to Senator Gillibrand's ballot is just another in a long line of similar objections to legal residents of the district in which Tedisco himself is not legally allowed to vote. It's pretty obvious what his strategy is with these challenges. It is to keep the race as close as possible for as long as possible and to maybe even take a small lead on paper when his home turf of Saratoga County reports in the next 24 hours or so. Then he and the rest of GOP land will scream "theft!" when a judge rules the vast majority of these baseless challenges, including one to, ya know, a United States Senator, to be invalid.
It's a pretty sick strategy when you step back and appreciate exactly what is happening here. A man who can not vote for himself because he does not live in the district is challenging the votes of those that do reside in NY-20 in hopes of squeaking out a minor and temporary "victory" over the wishes of those he seeks to represent.
This man has no business representing anyone, be it in DC or in Albany. |
