Mount Vernon’s Electoral Integrity Crisis: Accountability Must Be Shared—But Change Starts Locally - Copy
Mount Vernon is now under the watchful eye of the federal government. President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Justice has formally launched a sweeping investigation into New York’s voter rolls—demanding records from election boards across the state. Among them is the Westchester County Board of Elections, with particular implications for the City of Mount Vernon.
This is not just a political headline. It is a legal and civic wake-up call.
Who’s in Charge? BOE Leadership Fails on Both Sides
The Westchester County BOE is led by two commissioners:
- Democratic Commissioner Tajian M. Nelson
- Republican Commissioner Douglas A. Colety
By law, both are equally responsible for ensuring that voter rolls are accurate, secure, and free from bloat or fraud. Yet Mount Vernon residents have watched for years as our rolls ballooned—by some counts more than 30%—with questionable entries. This includes deceased individuals, duplicate names, and people registered from vacant or unverifiable addresses. A point of contention in the lawsuit filed by Bill Schwartz.
Why The Voice Focuses on Nelson
While both commissioners bear responsibility, our editorial attention focuses on Commissioner Nelson for several reasons:
- She holds dual political roles, serving as both a Westchester County BOE commissioner and Recording Secretary of the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee. That’s a clear conflict of interest.
- She has interacted directly with The Voice of Mount Vernon when we have highlighted this issue, but from what we know, they have failed to act.
- She is allegedly involved in misconduct, including advising a candidate on how to behave during an election cycle—an egregious breach of impartiality.
A Broader Mission: Exposure and Federal Scrutiny
The Voice of Mount Vernon is not merely a local outlet. Our reach extends to national media, legal watchdogs, and federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service. When we uncover what we believe are inappropriate or unethical behaviors, we act.
We send documentation. We raise awareness. We ask for investigations.And we are proud to say: we have participated in the current DOJ review.
Our Community Deserves Better
Mount Vernon deserves fair elections, clean rolls, and public servants who protect—not manipulate—the democratic process. That is why we are calling for:
- A public, independent audit of Mount Vernon’s voter registration list.
- An inquiry into the conduct of both BOE commissioners—particularly Nelson.
- Full transparency about how and when duplicate, dead, or stale registrations are purged.
- Removal or resignation of any official found to have violated the duties of their office.
This is our community. These are our elections. And this is our moment.
We Will Not Be Silent
To be clear: We are not asserting criminal guilt. We are asserting that voters have a right to ask questions when the integrity of our elections is at stake. And we believe Tajian Nelson—because of her dual political role and inaction—should no longer serve as commissioner.
This is our opinion, but it is grounded in documentation, patterns of behavior, and a desire for justice.
We stand for transparency. We stand for accountability.
We stand for Mount Vernon.
LINKS FOR YOUR REVIEW
https://www.democracydocket.