Judge orders 7,000 Suffolk ballots counted

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Marano told Suffolk Republican Elections Commissioner Wayne Rogers to follow the directive of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who issued an executive order after superstorm Sandy to allow displaced voters to cast ballots outside their home election districts.

Cuomo's order made no mention of voters being required to designate the storm as the reason for casting their ballots.

"Commissioner Rogers is grateful and appreciative that the judge clarified what the governor meant in his emergency order and is moving expeditiously to complete the certification process," Swenson said. He predicted that Suffolk's ballots would be certified "within a few days."

In Nassau, the judicial ballots have already been counted and were expected to be certified by Wednesday, said Democratic Elections Commissioner William Biamonte.

"This was an issue in no other county in New York State," Biamonte said. "They tried not to count 7,000 ballots. This is something out of Skunk Hollow, Mississippi."

Swenson responded, "That kind of low comment leads me to expect that Commissioner Biamonte got his training in Skunk Hollow."

The Suffolk ballots are not expected to change the results in any races, including winners of the six Supreme Court justice seats, which cover both Nassau and Suffolk.

Expected to be certified for Supreme Court are John J. Leo, Sondra L. Pardes, Leonard B. Austin, Richard Ambro, Peter Skelos and Leonard Steinman. Skelos was the only Republican winner.