In the heart of Westchester County, a shadow hangs over the democratic process in the City of Mount Vernon. For years, whispers of systemic voter manipulation have circulated among political insiders and concerned citizens. Now, thanks to legal actions spanning from 2019 to the present day, those whispers have become a public cry for justice, alleging a brazen scheme to mysteriously resurrect "inactive" voters to sway elections.
At the center of this storm are two entities: the Mount Vernon City government and the Westchester County Board of Elections. The allegation is as simple as it is alarming: that the names of long-inactive or ineligible voters are kept on the rolls, only to be strategically "reactivated" to commit voter fraud. This isn't a national, abstract fear about dead voters; it's a localized, specific claim about the manipulation of the living who have long been absent from the polls.
The 2019 Prelude: A Mayor's Lawsuit Lifts the Veil
The issue first burst into the public record in 2019. Then-Mayor Richard Thomas, fighting a primary challenge, filed a federal lawsuit alleging a "ballot integrity crisis." The lawsuit claimed that the Westchester County Board of Elections failed to properly maintain voter rolls, allowing for widespread fraud.
The suit pointed to hundreds of questionable voter registration forms, many bearing identical handwriting or signatures. It alleged that voters were being registered to vacant lots and commercial buildings. Most critically, it highlighted the mechanism: the exploitation of "inactive" voters. These are individuals who have not voted in two consecutive federal elections and have failed to respond to a confirmation notice. They are supposed to be purged after two further federal election cycles, but the lawsuit alleged this process was being manipulated, keeping these "zombie" names on the books as a tool for potential fraud.
The suit was ultimately settled. However, many allege the "settlement" required Thomas to withdraw the lawsuit in exchange for his freedom, to avoid criminal charges while in office. Yet, it established a public record of dysfunction and raised serious questions that were never fully resolved.
The 2025 Trap: An Active Lawsuit Designed to Catch Fraud in the Act
Six years later, the same specter has returned, but this time with a potentially decisive legal strategy. In 2025, city council candidate Bill Schwartz filed a legal petition that reads like a sequel to the 2019 case, but with a critical difference: it remains an active case.
Schwartz’s petition is not just a list of grievances; it is a meticulously designed trap. By legally challenging the invalid registrations before the election, the lawsuit creates a judicial framework to monitor the voting process. Any vote cast by a person on this list of challenged "inactive" or "invalid" voters will now be highly visible, creating a clear, auditable paper trail. The suit is poised to catch fraudulent activity as it happens, providing concrete evidence for the courts to overturn a tainted election. Shawyn Patterson-Howard is fuming, according to sources, inside of City Hall.
The Mayor has said that she "hates" Schwartz.
The purpose is clear: to force a level of transparency the system has historically lacked and to provide irrefutable proof that the theoretical vulnerability of the voter rolls is, in fact, being actively exploited.
The Mechanism of Manipulation and the Cast of CharactersHow would this allegedly work? The process doesn't require a cartoonish villain stuffing a ballot box. It's more insidious:- The "Inactive" List as a Reservoir: Names of people who have moved away, passed away, or simply stopped voting are kept on the rolls, marked as "inactive."
- Strategic Reactivation: Around election time, these names can be used to generate affidavit ballots or be mysteriously "reactivated."
- Exploiting "Row A" Mentality: In a party-line city like Mount Vernon, many voters simply pull the lever for "Row A" (the Democratic line) without a second thought. A fraudster needs only to assign a "zombie" name to an accomplice, who then goes to the poll, claims that name, and votes the party line. The vote is counted, and the corruption is complete.
This scheme preys on two things: the administrative failure to clean the voter rolls and the electorate's blind loyalty. And according to the allegations, this failure is not accidental. The Schwartz lawsuit and other critics point a direct finger at Tajian Nelson, the Mount Vernon resident who serves as the Democratic Commissioner of the Westchester County Board of Elections. As the Democratic Party's chief operational official at the Board, Commissioner Nelson holds direct responsibility for the integrity of the very voter rolls and election procedures under scrutiny. The lawsuit's "trap" is designed to trace any illegal votes directly back to the administrative failures and alleged manipulations occurring under her watch.
A Call to Action: It's Not a "Blue" City, It's a Citizen's City Voters in Mount Vernon must stop being passive participants in a process that is being called into question. The solution is not to stop voting, but to vote smarter and demand accountability. A critical fact is often lost in the narrative: Mount Vernon has a significant and powerful population of registered Independents and Republicans. These voters, alongside disillusioned Democrats, have the numbers to decide any local election—but only if they break from the machine's playbook.
- Stop Voting Blindly: The practice of mindlessly voting "Row A all the way" is exactly what this alleged system exploits. It treats voters like a herd, not thinking individuals. It is the duty of every citizen—Democrat, Republican, and Independent—to think, to research candidates, and to split tickets if their conscience dictates. Your vote is your voice; don't outsource your brain to a political machine.
- Demand Answers from the Board of Elections: The Westchester County Board of Elections, and specifically Commissioner Tajian Nelson, have a legal and ethical obligation to maintain accurate rolls. Citizens must demand to know why the issues raised in 2019 appear unresolved in 2025. The active Schwartz lawsuit is a direct challenge to their performance; the public must demand that they be held accountable.
- Support the Judicial Process: Bill Schwartz’s lawsuit is a necessary circuit breaker. Public pressure must be applied to ensure this case is seen through to the end. If the "trap" is sprung and illegal votes are uncovered, it will provide the evidence needed to finally cleanse the system and hold specific individuals, like Commissioner Nelson, accountable.
Early voting has started. The 2025 elections are underway. But it is not too late for the people of Mount Vernon to demand integrity. The allegations of intentional voter fraud are a stain on the city's reputation. Cleaning it up requires every voter—regardless of party—to open their eyes, question the process, and reclaim their democracy from the hands of a corrupt machine. The future of Mount Vernon depends on it.
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