(ELMONT, N.Y.) – Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D – Valley Stream) stood alongside more than 100 community members on Thursday, Jan. 25 to express their dismay that at an early voting site being taken away from the Elmont community and demand that the Elmont Memorial Library Board reverse its decision.
Last fall, the library board decided to discontinue the use of its facilities for early voting – an outcome which Legislator Solages said severely curtails community access to polling places during the 10-day window prior to all primary and general elections. This decision came in the aftermath of the November 2023 general election, during which the Elmont Memorial Library’s hand was forced by was the disruption caused by numerous complaints regarding alleged voter intimidation and attempted fraud by Republican operatives.
Legislator Solages called for the Nassau County District Attorney’s office to investigate the allegations and complaints of unlawful and disruptive electioneering, voter intimidation and election fraud efforts stemming from incidents and actions observed at the Elmont Library during the 2023 election. He is also urging Republican Board of Elections officials to commit to a similar level of support as their Democratic counterparts to insulate Elmont Library workers from election-based confrontations and allegations in future early voting periods.
“We must never back down from bullies, especially when their aggressive and unlawful attempts to suppress the vote are intended to silence the voices of the people,” Legislator Solages said. “Failing to reverse this decision would send a chilling message that voter intimidation pays off, and it would deprive the residents of western Nassau County an accessible, centralized location to cast their ballots in this year’s crucial Presidential election. Our community speaks in one voice in its demand for the restoration of early voting at the Elmont Memorial Library.”
PHOTO CREDITS – Office of Legislator Carrié Solages