A New York appeals court on Tuesday upheld a new state law allowing absentee ballots to be reviewed before Election Day, saying it would would be “extremely disruptive” to change the rules with absentee voting already underway.
The decision from the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court reverses a lower court ruling that declared New York’s early review of absentee ballots unconstitutional. The appeals court said Republican and Conservative party officials who challenged the law waited too long.
The court also upheld a pandemic-era law that allows voters worried about becoming ill to vote by absentee.
“In our view, granting petitioners the requested relief during an ongoing election would be extremely disruptive and profoundly destabilizing and prejudicial to candidates, voters and the State and local Boards of Elections,” read a decision from the court, which had heard arguments in the case earlier Tuesday.