Officials with the Onondaga County Board of Elections confirm they received notice from the state Board of Elections with concerns about a backlog of voter applications in the county.
In a statement, Democratic Commissioner of Elections Dustin Czarny said that the board is working with the state and hopes to “have cleared the backlog shortly.”
“In a presidential year, we experienced a large volume of voter registrations and vote-by-mail applications. We have worked to clear the backlog of this influx for the last two months,” Czarny said. “I feel confident that we have implemented the recommended changes and that, along with the recent hiring of temporary staff, will help us fulfill our obligations to the voters this year and into the future.”
In the letter, obtained by Spectrum News 1, Board of Elections Co-Executive Directors Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky and Raymond J. Riley III say the severity of the backlog "not only threatens the integrity of the upcoming election but also undermines the basic rights of all voters, but especially military and overseas voters, whose timely processing is required under federal law."
The letter outlines the state board's concerns in Onondaga County, and outlines the actions the county needs to take to expedite the processing of registration applications.
Early voting for the general election begins Oct. 26, running through Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 5.