Akiko Matsuda

amatsuda@lohud.com

RAMAPO – Three state representatives from Rockland County issued statements late Friday urging the town to allow poll watchers at the two referendums set for Tuesday.

The special election is to ask voters whether to increase the number of Town Board members from four to six, and whether to separate the town into geographical districts — or wards — to elect a Town Board member from each district. Currently, four Town Board members are elected at large and don't represent specific areas of the town.

As the debate over the ward system got heated, Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence announced that poll watchers would not be allowed at the voting sites during the special election. Local activists, who filed petitions to force the town to hold the referendums, challenged his policy in court. But a state Supreme Court judge sided with the town's argument based on state law that poll watchers are appointed for an election with candidates on the ballot, not an election on a proposition.

Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D-New City, said the upcoming referendums are "too important to not have the transparency that is afforded to every other election."

"The town should quickly develop a system to appoint poll watchers in an equitable manner that provides representation to both sides of this critical issue," he wrote in an email.

Sen. David Carlucci, D-New City, said denying poll watchers "goes against the spirit of fair and open democracy."

"From national elections to the smallest hamlets, preserving the integrity of the voting process is fundamentally crucial to our communities," he stated in the email.

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, agreed.

"Poll watchers are a positive aspect of our democratic election process, while helping to ensure that voting results, at the local, state and national levels are reliable, fair, transparent and honest," she said. "Allowing poll watchers will benefit the entire Ramapo community by instilling confidence in the voters."

St. Lawrence didn't return a message requesting comment Friday evening.

Ramapo Town Attorney Michael Klein has said the town was simply following the law.

Zebrowski said he intends to change the law.

"I will be introducing legislation next session that will require poll watchers at all elections including ballot referendums," Zebrowski said.

Twitter: @LohudAkiko