The failure of New York lawmakers to meet their redistricting responsibilities led to 300 Ballston Spa voters being disenfranchised in the June 26 Republican congressional primary.

Saratoga County Board of Elections officials were unaware that a section of the village of Ballston Spa had been put in the 21st Congressional District so their ballot did not include the names of Matthew A. Doheny and Kellie A. Greene, who were vying for the GOP nomination to oppose Rep. William L. Owens in the Nov. 6 election.

Election officials said the error resulted from a lack of detail on the maps supplied by a court-appointed special master, since state lawmakers could not do their job redrawing congressional district boundaries following the 2010 the Census. They defaulted on their responsibility and left the task up to a federal court.

The late action by the court created a condensed timeline for county officials to comply with other deadlines within the elections calendar. Saratoga officials say the court-supplied maps lacked the level of detail they would have liked. In the rush, they inadvertently overlooked the neighborhood.

Everyone involved is quick to point out that the missing votes would not have affected the outcome. But that misses the point. Three hundred people lost their right to vote due to the slapdash manner in which redistricting was done.

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