The Board of Elections for Westchester County has announced that arrangements have been made to assure that observant Jewish voters will be able to register despite the coming holiday weekend. Registration dates set by the Legislature are Thursday, which is Shmini Atzereth, and Friday, which is Simchat Torah. Saturday also is a registration day, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Elections Commissioner William J. Van Wart said today that anyone who arrives at any of the 688 polling places in the county by 8 p.m. Saturday will be allowed to register. He said the decision was made after protests had been entered by rabbis and congregants that Orthodox and Conservative Jews would have only a few minutes to register during the three-day period — between sundown and 8 p.m.
A special law, passed by the Legislature this year, changed the New York City registration days to avoid this conflict.
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