Dishing dirt on a Five Towns sanitary district vote

Daily Point

Sanitary district vote blasted as unclean

The election for one of five commissioners in Sanitary District 1 in the Five Towns was held last July. But now — nine months and countless curbside pickups later — the outcome of that balloting remains disputed in court with an intensity usually reserved for higher-stakes contests.

Gabriel Boxer of Hewlett is the candidate who trails amid the extended post-Election Day canvass of paper ballots. His lawyer, veteran GOP attorney John Ciampoli, is lambasting the district’s whole internal process. Ciampoli affirms in a state court filing dated last week: “Over the course of my career, I have never seen a more poorly executed election where there were no safeguards against fraud, a lack of compliance with laws governing this process by election administrators, no protections against voter disenfranchisement and intentional acts that resulted in voter disenfranchisement.”

Veteran Democratic attorney Tom Garry, who in Nassau County elections is often seen as Ciampoli’s opposite number, represents the Lawrence-based SD1. Contacted by The Point, Garry dismissed Ciampoli’s claims as hyperbole. The monthslong fight goes on this week before state Supreme Court Judge Randy Sue Marber in Nassau County, with attorney Allison Lewis representing the so-far-winning candidate Gwynette Campbell of Inwood, an incumbent SD1 commissioner challenged by Boxer.

After the July 11 vote, Boxer led, 395 to 288. Earlier this month, after challenges from both sides — and with an estimated 900-plus absentee ballots having been cast and sorted through — Campbell came out ahead by more than 200 votes.

In asking for those results to be tossed out, Boxer’s side claims assorted irregularities. Ciampoli alleged that SD1, which administered the election, had no process or system for reviewing applications for absentee ballots, or tracking the ballots issued. He also said in-person votes were not properly validated by signature, which he said violates the state constitution.

As one tack in his arguments, Ciampoli suggested that those given flawed “affidavit” ballots “were disenfranchised by the District on the basis of their surnames so as to thwart the support Petitioner had in the Jewish Community.”

Garry told The Point that this suggestion was “insane” and “ridiculous.” He added that Ciampoli in at least one case also challenged ballot submissions by some voters with Jewish names. Garry said Boxer used the district’s system of absentee voting “better than anybody,” with 229 applicants naming him as the individual empowered to pick up their ballots for them. (That practice is legal.)

All of which goes to illustrate how control of districts providing public services can become as embattled as any other electoral jostle. Perhaps this drama will be resolved in time for another SD1 commissioner election — coming up in July.

— Dan Janison @Danjanison

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