Court certifies East Hills election results

More than two weeks after the votes were cast, a State Supreme Court judge has certified the Village of East Hills election results.

Justice Michele M. Woodard approved the final results from the March 15 election on Thursday.

The move brings to an end a contentious race that pitted incumbents against a slate of challengers.

Mayor Michael Koblenz and Trustees Gary Leventhal and Peter Zuckerman beat out the East Hills Advocacy Group slate of Matthew Weiss, who was running for mayor, and trustee candidates Jonathan Penn and Gregg Resnick. Both sides had contested the numbers but not the outcome of the race.

The day after the election, the village went to court to have the voting machines impounded after two sets of results were reported. A recount was ordered but the advocacy group later challenged those results and claimed ballot fraud had occurred.

On Thursday, the advocacy group withdrew their protest of the results.

“Although errors were made, the voice of the voters was fairly heard and registered,” advocacy group attorney Charles Casolaro wrote in a letter to the village clerk.