Dead 'voters' cast ballots in Brooklyn GOP primary for City Council: report

In June’s GOP primary race between two south Brooklyn City Council candidates, it has been reported that at least two ballots submitted under the names of dead people were cast.

Per the New York Post, Ballots were submitted under the names of Juliet Windvan and Antoinette Garzaniti in the District 47 primary. That race is between Brooklyn Republican chairman Richie Barsamian and George Sarantopoulos. Windvan and Garzaniti died over a decade ago.

Another voter, William Allen, 87, said that he had received a "cure notice," which is a notification voters receive when their ballot contains an error such as a missing signature, despite not casting a ballot in the primary.

Garzaniti’s daughter, Linda Smith, told the outlet, "That is amazing. I find this unbelievable. Yes, we still got ballots for her. They were ripped up and thrown out. So I want to know, who is doing it?"

Justin Allen, Allen’s son, said that they tore up Allen’s absentee ballot upon arrival because, despite being registered as a Republican, he typically votes Democrat.

"I think it’s terrible that somebody cast a ballot in my father’s name, especially in an election that was so close and that whoever committed fraud, would have been a fraud getting elected," Justin Allen said.

Sarantopoulos is leading Barsamian by just 32 votes, and a recount is being held. Sarantopolos said the report was "shocking and concerning."

"These apparent facts really call for a district attorney investigation,” said election lawyer Martin Connor. “They need to find out how someone other than the voter was able to obtain and submit the absentee ballots."

John Kaehny, executive director of watchdog group Reinvent Albany, said that despite the reporting, voter fraud is considered rare in the city and across the US. "It’s hard to get away with, and very easy to detect if done in a big enough way to affect an election. That doesn’t stop various knuckleheads from trying."