By Emerson Clarridge
A New York Supreme Court justice responsible for deciding the outcome of a disputed Huntington Town Board election is presiding this morning over a makeshift court room that features a cold concrete floor and exposed pipes hanging from the ceiling.
Justice Emily Pines is hearing arguments from lawyers representing incumbent Democrat Glenda Jackson, who — unofficially — appears to have beaten Republican challenger Bill Dowler by 98 votes for a seat on the town board.
But Dowler is challenging the validity of 118 of the ballots. He argues that signatures on envelopes containing absentee ballots don’t match signatures on voter registration cards.
About a dozen attorneys are gathered in a back room at the Suffolk County Board of Elections office in Yaphank, where Pines is expected to review the signatures and issue a ruling.
Also at issue are the results from a voting matching in the West Hills-Cold Spring Harbor area, where the count exceeds the number of signatures on a tally sheet by 40 votes.
It was not clear whether a decision will be issued today and either of the questions. Pines indicated she may want to prepare a written ruling. We'll try to update this later today.