New York State Supreme Court Judge Anthony Digiovanna offered today to mediate a dispute between a Jewish group and the State and City of New York in an attempt to reach a compromise over the scheduling of voter registration on the Jewish Sabbath and Jewish holidays. He made the offer after reserving until next week his decision on whether to issue a preliminary injunction restraining the City and State from conducting registration on those days.
A temporary stay, granted by Supreme Court Justice Murray T. Feiden last Friday was continued by Judge Digoivanna pending his decision. This morning’s hearing at the State Supreme Court in Brooklyn concerned a court action initiated by the Association of Jewish Anti-Poverty Workers against the State, the City and the NY City Board of Elections for allegedly depriving observant Jews of their voting rights. The AJAPW contends that that would be the effect if the present schedule of voter registration in the City and State is allowed to stand. The AJAPW was represented by Assemblyman Leonard Silverman.
The City Corporation Counsel filed papers in court this morning asking that the motion for an injunction be denied. Judge Digiovanna delayed his decision to give the State time to file its brief. The AJAPW disclosed last week that a canvas of the State’s 63 counties showed conflicts in all of them between voter registration days and Jewish holidays.
In the City’s five boroughs, the three days assigned for voter registration include Succoth and a Saturday. In six upstate counties, voter registration has been scheduled on Yom Kippur and a Saturday, the AJAPW said.
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