Today, LDF sent a letter to the Cheektowaga, New York Town Board to address an exploratory proceeding concerning an alleged violation of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA) initiated by the Town of Cheektowaga. On December 12, 2023, a Cheektowaga resident sent the Town an NYVRA notification letter alleging that the Town’s at-large method of election violated the NYVRA. On January 9, 2024, the Town adopted a resolution committing to investigate the current at-large method of election, hold hearings on potential remedies, and retain voting rights and election law experts Lisa Handley and Jeff Wice to advise the Town. LDF’s letter offers background on the NYVRA, provides information on district-based elections, and encourages the town to take advantage of this opportunity to pioneer an exemplary remedial process under the NYVRA.
Read the full letter here.
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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.
