A New York judge has ordered a full hand recount of all presidential and state Senate ballots in Rockland County following claims of major voting irregularities, including one district where Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly received zero votes.
The case, brought by SMART Legislation—a nonpartisan group advocating for voting rights—raises concerns about the accuracy of the 2024 election results in several Rockland County districts. Judge Rachel Tanguay of the New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of moving forward with a recount after plaintiffs presented evidence suggesting significant discrepancies.
“There is clear evidence that the senate results are incorrect, and there are statistical indications that the presidential results are highly unlikely,” said Lulu Friesdat, executive director of SMART Legislation. “The best way to determine if the results are correct is to examine the paper ballots in a full public, transparent hand recount.”
The lawsuit alleges that dozens of voters in Rockland County reported voting for independent U.S. Senate candidate Diane Sare, yet the official tally recorded fewer votes than expected. Additionally, in Senate District 35, 331 voters cast ballots for Democratic State Senate candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, but none reportedly voted for Harris for president. In District 55, 909 voters backed Gillibrand, but just two voted for Harris.
University of Alabama physics professor Max Bonamente reviewed the numbers and said the 2024 results in four of Rockland County’s five towns were statistically implausible.
“These data would require extreme sociological or political causes for their explanation, and would benefit from further assurances as to their fidelity,” Bonamente said.
The recount order comes amid broader national scrutiny of election integrity and could carry major implications if further inconsistencies are confirmed.
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