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New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
‘Knuckleheads' cast dead voter ballots in NYC primary as calls for probe intensify: ‘This one really stinks of voter fraud'
At least two dead voters had absentee ballots submitted under their names in a tightly contested GOP primary last month between two south Brooklyn City Council hopefuls — with the winner still up for grabs. Both Juliet Windvan and Antoinette Garzaniti voted in the District 47 primary between Brooklyn Republican chairman Richie Barsamian and George Sarantopoulous — despite records showing both died over a decade ago — city Board of Elections documents exclusively obtained by The Post reveal. 5 Juliet Windvan and Antoinette Garzaniti voted in the Brooklyn City Council primary despite records showing both died over a decade ago. Michael Nagle A third voter, 87-year-old William Allen, also said that despite not casting a ballot in the primary, he had received a 'cure notice' which voters get when their ballots contain errors like a missing signature. 'These apparent facts really call for a District Attorney investigation,' election lawyer Martin Connor said. 'They need to find out how someone other than the voter was able to obtain and submit the absentee ballots.' Sarantopoulous is currently leading Barsamian by a mere 32 votes, according to the Board of Elections' latest unofficial tallies. 5 Sarantopoulous is currently leading Barsamian by a mere 32 votes. Facebook/ George Sarantopoulous A recount is being held on Tuesday. Linda Smith, Garzaniti's daughter, was completely dismayed when she learned of the bizarre circumstances, while confirming with The Post that her mother had passed away. 'That is amazing,' she said. 'I find this unbelievable. Yes, we still got ballots for her. They were ripped up and thrown out. 'So I want to know, who is doing it?' 5 Linda Smith, Garzaniti's daughter, was completely dismayed when she learned of the bizarre circumstances. Michael Nagle Attempts to reach Windvan's family were unsuccessful but Social Security records indicate that she died in 2007. Justin Allen and his father William said they tore up the dad's absentee ballot when it arrived in the mail because although he is a registered Republican, he usually votes Democratic. 'I think it's terrible that somebody cast a ballot in my father's name, especially in an election that was so close and that whoever committed fraud, would have been a fraud getting elected,' Justin Allen said. 5 A third voter said that despite not casting a ballot in the primary, he had received a 'cure notice' which voters get when their ballots contain errors like a missing signature. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post Sarantopolous called the matter 'shocking and concerning.' Even so, voter fraud is still considered rare in the Big Apple and across the US, according to John Kaehny, executive director of watchdog group Reinvent Albany. 'It's hard to get away with, and very easy to detect if done in a big enough way to affect an election,' Kaehny added. 'That doesn't stop various knuckleheads from trying.' Councilman Justin Brannan, a Brooklyn Democrat who is term limited out of the seat at year's end, called for the matter to be immediately probed. 5 Obituary for Antoinette Garzaniti. Flynn & Son Funeral Homes 'You can't make this up. Dead people voting and living voters calling my office to say someone cast a ballot in their name,' Brannan said in a statement. 'And don't forget the Chair of the Republican Party, who appoints BOE workers, was on the ballot. 'This one really stinks of voter fraud and demands a full and swift investigation.' Barsamian's campaign and the Board of Elections did not respond to requests for comment. The Brooklyn District Attorney's office told The Post they could not comment on investigations.
Axios
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Tiawana Brown runs again for Charlotte City Council seat despite federal indictment
Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown officially filed Wednesday to run for reelection in District 3. After submitting her paperwork at the Board of Elections, she told reporters she was hitting the campaign trail to "knock on doors in my red bottoms." Why it matters: Brown is facing federal charges for allegedly securing $124,000 in pandemic loans in 2021 and spending the funds on personal and luxury items, like Louis Vuitton merchandise. At the board of elections office, Brown filled out her paperwork surrounded by supporters holding campaign signs. She declined to take questions from reporters, many of whom were already there because Mayor Vi Lyles had held a reelection press conference minutes prior. Brown said the press had done "enough damage" and told reporters to capture good pictures of her — not like she was "in jail." What she's saying: "All of the people that are running against me, good luck. But you got some big shoes to fill. Good luck. Good luck," Brown repeated. Zoom in: Brown's campaign website cites her top issues as affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure, workforce development and public safety. "I'm excited to just stand in solidarity for those of you that don't normally have the regular voice at city council," Brown said while filming a live video on Facebook. "Thank you for being with me ... during the storm." The big picture: The District 3 race to represent parts of west Charlotte will be one of the most closely watched in this year's city council elections. So far, Democrats Montravias King, a board member of Keep Charlotte Beautiful, and Joi Mayo, the founder of Transforming Nations Ford, have filed. Both have lists of other community leadership roles. On the Republican side, James Bowers is running again. He lost to Brown in the 2023 general election with only 21% of votes — or 1,690 ballots. District 3's voter registration is 47% Democratic, 37% unaffiliated and 1% Republican. What they're saying: Charlotte political consultant Dan McCorkle points out that the more candidates who enter the race, the fewer votes Brown needs to win.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is running for NYC mayor as an independent
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has officially launched his independent bid for New York City mayor after losing the Democratic primary. In a video post to X, Cuomo said he's 'in it to win it' and ready to face off against state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic bid, come November. He recently created an independent party called the 'Fight and Deliver' party. More News: Politics 'The fight to save our city isn't over,' Cuomo said. 'You deserve a mayor with the experience and ideas to make it happen again.' Mamdani beat Cuomo in the primary with 56% of the vote, according to Board of Elections data. Cuomo accused Mamdani of offering only 'slick slogans' but no real solutions. 'Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that the Democratic primary did not go the way I had hoped,' he said. The two will also face Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independents Mayor Eric Adams and Jim Walden in November. Adams said Cuomo asked him to drop out of the race after the primary. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Politico
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
‘It's time': Progressives pressure top Democrats to back Mamdani
'The party should be celebrating and analyzing this win as we prepare for the fight of our political lives in 2026,' the left-leaning signatories wrote in their letter. 'At a time when Democrats have struggled to connect with voters and build credibility, supporting and learning from Mr. Mamdani's playbook is paramount.' The influential Working Families Party, which endorsed Mamdani as its first choice, is turning up the pressure as well. The state lawmaker slightly expanded his 12-point lead over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the most updated city Board of Elections results. 'It's time for every Democratic leader to get on board,' New York co-director Jasmine Gripper told POLITICO, pointing out that Mamdani is supported by fellow state assemblymembers from across the Democratic spectrum. 'The Mamdani tent is big enough for everyone. Any leader who is serious about building a base of energized voters and wins would be smart to join us.' Additionally, Our Revolution, founded after Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign, has been circulating a petition saying, 'Tell Dem leaders: Don't sabotage Mamdani.' It had 30,000 signatures as of Tuesday night. But the signals from those leaders have been that they'll work at their own pace. And no endorsements are guaranteed. Jeffries said he and Mamdani are set to meet next week. Schumer is also planning to eventually meet with the Queens lawmaker, his spokesperson said, but no date has been set. Hochul, Mamdani and their teams are in regular communication, the governor has said. Asked Wednesday at a United Federation of Teachers endorsement event about Democratic leaders hesitating to endorse him, Mamdani focused on their common ground. 'I led a campaign for eight months focused on making the city affordable,' the Democratic nominee for mayor said. 'I see that partnership already in Governor Hochul and Senator Schumer and Congressmember Jeffries, and that is a partnership I look to build on each and every day.'
New York Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani won most votes of a candidate NYC primary history
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani won more votes than any other mayoral candidate in New York City primary election history, according to updated tallies released Tuesday. The city Board of Elections' unofficial figures showed that in round three of the Democratic Party's ranked-choice voting primary last year, the democratic socialist netted 565,639 votes after 102,000 votes were transferred from other candidates. 'With the updated RCV totals just released by the Board of Elections, our campaign has officially earned the most total votes in a primary in New York City History,' the state Assemblyman from Queens boasted on X. Advertisement Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani received more votes than any other mayoral candidate in New York City primary election history, according to Board of Election figures. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images The previous record for a Democratic mayoral primary has been held since 1989, when David Dinkins bested Ed Koch in a non-ranked-choice election with 547,000 votes. In the 2021 democratic mayoral primary, Eric Adams received just over 404,000 votes in the final round of ranked choice — with around 50,000 of those votes getting transferred to him. Advertisement Mamdani's totals are expected to grow as while a small percent of ballots are still being counted. A campaign representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
