POUGHKEEPSIE – The League of Women Voters Mid-Hudson Region has won its court case seeking to have the Dutchess County Republican Elections Commissioner Erik Haight follow state law and establish a polling place on the campus of Vassar College.
The lawsuit was filed by the league, a Vassar College professor, and a Vassar College student earlier this week, seeking a court order for Commissioner Haight to abide by a state law requiring colleges with more than 300 students living on campus, to have a polling place on the college property.
Haight has historically fought to prevent college students at both Bard and Vassar Colleges from having their own polling places. His repeated denials have resulted in lawsuits causing county taxpayers to spend more than $120,000 in legal fees that have resulted in Haight’s repeated defeats.
After hearing arguments from the parties on Thursday afternoon in Dutchess County Supreme Court, Judge Christie D’Alessio ruled that the law is clear in requiring a polling place on campus. The decision, in part, says, “This Court grants the petition in its entirety. The plain language of Election Law g 4-104[5-a] which includes the word ‘shall’ (as opposed to ‘may’ or ‘should’) specifically mandates the designation of a voting polling place on a college or university campus where, as here. the petitioner demonstrated that the college or university campus contains three hundred or more registrants to vote at an address on such college or university campus.”
Poughkeepsie-based election law attorney Michael Treybich represented Democratic Elections Commissioner Hannah Black in the proceeding. Treybich has a history of defeating Haight in similar lawsuits. After the decision, Treybich said, “Once again, the voters have been forced to sue and have the taxpayers foot the bill to defend the Dutchess County Board of Elections because Commissioner Haight simply refuses to follow laws that he disagrees with.” The attorney said, “The court made the right decision, the law is unambiguous and requires the Board of Elections to designate a polling site on the campus of Vassar College because there are more than 300 voters on campus.”
Haight, meanwhile, told Mid-Hudson News that he is “reviewing the decision with my attorney (David Jensen) that was just issued a few minutes ago to determine our next steps.”
