Little-Known Ballot Maneuver Sparks Outcry After Huntington Election

A long-running practice of using third-party ballot lines to boost major-party candidates erupted into public view this month after an unfamiliar name drew an unexpectedly large share of votes in Huntington’s closely contested town supervisor race.

The uproar over the race, won by incumbent Supervisor Ed Smyth (R), has introduced many residents to the mechanics of third-party ballot access for the first time. It has prompted calls for a state attorney general investigation, demands to reform election laws, accusations aimed at political leaders in both parties, and a rush by residents to sift through election documents to look for clues of wrongdoing or to understand how the process works.

The confusion has fed conspiracy theories and, among some, calls to overturn the results.

It also has led to a protest planned for Tuesday outside Huntington Town Hall ahead of the Town Board meeting.






https://huntingtonnow.com/little-known-ballot-maneuver-sparks-outcry-after-huntington-election/