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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF ALBANY
ERIC J. SNYDER, taxpayer and registered voter,
Petitioner-Plaintiff,
- against-
JAMES A. WALSH and DOUGLAS A. KELLNER, Co-
Chairmen of the BOARD OF ELECTIONS OF THE STATE
OF NEW YORK and their successors in Office,
Respondents-Defendants.
SIRS:
Index No. 5549-13
Notice of Motion
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that upon the annexed Affirmation of Paul M. Collins, Esq., made the
9
th
day of October,2013, the Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss and all of the
proceedings heretofore had herein, in accordance with the Order to Show Cause of Hon. Michael
Lynch, J.S.C., the undersigned will move this Court at 9:30 o'clock in the forenoon of October
11,2013 at the Albany County Court Courthouse, Eagle Street, Albany, New York for an Order
dismissing this proceeding pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(2),(5)(7) and (10) and 7804(f).
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that answering papers, ifany are due to be served on or
before October 10, 2013.
October 9, 2013
To: Eric 1. Snyder, Esq.
598 Fifth Street
Brooklyn, New York 11215
(service via email)
@/#-
Paul M. Collins, Esq.
Deputy Special Counsel
New York State Board of Elections
40 North Pearl St. STE 5
Albany, New York 12207-2729
(518) 473-5088
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF ALBANY
ERIC J. SNYDER, taxpayer and registered voter,
Petitioner-Plaintiff,
- against-
JAMES A. WALSH and DOUGLAS A. KELLNER, Co-
Chairmen of the BOARD OF LECTIONS OF THE STATE OF
NEW YORK and their successors in Office,
Respondents-Defendants.
Index No. 5549-13
Affirmation in Support
of Motion to Dismiss
PAUL M. COLLINS, Esq., and attorney duly licensed to practice law in the State of New York,
affirms under penalty of perjury as follows:
1. That he is the Deputy Special Counsel for the New York State Board of Elections and
appears for the Respondents-Defendants James A. Walsh and Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chairmen
of the State Board of Elections (hereinafter "Respondents").
2. That he does not appear for the New York State Board of Elections as that entity is not a
party to this proceeding nor does he appear for the remaining Commissioners of the State Board,
Evelyn. 1. Aquila and Gregory P. Peterson as neither ofthose Commissioners have been made a
party to this proceeding.
3. That he is fully familiar with the facts set forth herein and makes this Affirmation in
support of the instant motion to dismiss this proceeding pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(5), (7) and
(10) and 7804(f) for the reasons set forth hereinafter and in the attached Memorandum of Law
in Support of Motion.
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Relief Sought in the Petition/Compliant:
4. Any reading of the Petition/Compliant reveals that the Petitioner seeks to challenge the
certification of the Casino Gaming ballot proposal as made by the New York State Board of
Elections at a meeting held on July 29,2013. Petitioner concedes that the language challenged in
this proceeding was approved by the State Board of Elections on July 29,2013
(Petition/Complaint
5. By way of relief, Petitioner seeks an injunction barring the language certified by the State
Board from being used on the November ballot, or alternatively, barring the appearance on the
ballot of the Casino Gaming question.
6. As Petitioner seeks both a review of the administrative action of the State Board, an order
enjoining the implementation of that certification (First Claim for Relief, Petition "36"
through "41", WHEREFOR CLAUSE (b)). and an Order that the State Board has acted "outside
of its jurisdiction by including Advocating Language" (WHEREFOR CLAUSE (c) he has
correctly styled his proceeding an Article 78 proceeding. To the extent that he also seeks a
judicial declaration that the Board acted, "in excess of its authority and outside of its jurisdiction
(Second Claim for Relief, Petition "42" through "48" (WHEREFOR CLAUSE (c) and (d)
this is a classic Article 78 proceeding in the nature of prohibition.
7. By way of ancillary relief, Petitioners seeks a declaration that the expenditure of public
funds in creating a ballot which contains the language as certified by the State Board of Elections
constitutes an expenditure of public funds upon a private purpose purportedly in violation of
Article VIII, 8(l) of the New York State Constitution and a writ of prohibition with respect to
such expenditures (WHEREFOR CLAUSE (a)).
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Petitioner has Chosen to Ignore a Legislatively Created Remedy
8. The Legislature, perhaps foreseeing that there might be disputes over wording of ballot
proposals seeking to amend the State Constitution, created a mechanism for a registered voter to
challenge the language certified by the State Board of Elections with respect to such proposals at
the time that it required same be set forth in "a clear and coherent manner using words with
common and every-day meanings" (Elections Law 4-108(2)) in Chapter 136 of the Laws of
1978 (See Legislative Bill Jacket for this Chapter annexed to Memorandum of Law in Support of
Motion to Dismiss as Appendix "C").
9. The 1978 Chapter Amendment also created a remedy for those seeking to challenge the
language of the State Board's certification when it amended Election Law 16-104 by adding
two new subdivisions to that statute:
2. The wording of the abstract or form of submission of any proposed
amendment, proposition or question may be contested in a proceeding instituted
by any person eligible to vote on such amendment, proposition or question.
3. A proceeding pursuant to subdivision two of this section must be instituted
within fourteen days after the last day to certify the wording of any such abstract
or form of submission.
10. The Legislature was obviously aware that pursuant to Election Law4-108(1) the State
Board of Elections was required to certify and transmit to the county boards the abstract and
form of submission, "at least three months prior to the general election at which such
amendment, proposition or question is to be submitted.... ".
11. It is for that reason that it required that a proceeding to challenge such language be
instituted within fourteen days of such certification. Here with the November elections
scheduled for November 5
th
, the certification was due on August 5
th
and any proceeding to
challenge same must have instituted by August 19
th
This the Petitioner failed to do.
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Petitioner Has Failed to Comply with the Applicable Statute of Limitations
12. CLPR 217, which provides the Statute of Limitations for "proceedings against body or
officer" (Article 78 proceedings) is clear:
1. Unless a shorter time is provided in the law authorizing the proceeding .
(CLPR 217(l
13. As Election Law 4-108(3) does contain a shorter Statute of Limitations, Petitioner was
obligated to comply with that period of limitations, which clearly he has failed to do and for that
reason, this proceeding is time barred.
14. The law is long settled that in an Election Law case, no matter how entitled by the
Petition, the Court is without jurisdiction to extend the Statute of Limitations. (See Memorandum
of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss).
15. The fact that Petitioner has styled this proceeding as "hybrid" Article 78 proceeding and
Declaratory Judgment action does not operate to create a different Statute of Limitations as the
"borrowing" case law makes it clear that a Declaratory Judgment action borrows the most
analogous Statute of Limitations, here either CPLR 217(l) deference to Election Law 4-108(3)
or that statute itself. (See Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss).
16. The Court may take notice that the Petitioner's claim that the statutory authority for the
relief sought is Article 78 or CPLR 103(d) as alleged in 'iI"5" of the Petition/Complaint is
erroneous as a matter oflaw and the authority for this proceeding is Election Law 4-108(2) and
that such proceeding is subject to the Statute of Limitations set forth in Election Law 4-108(3).
Petitioner is Guilty of Laches
17. By failing to timely commence this proceeding and making it returnable on a date after
the county boards of elections have sent out their military ballots, have commenced the process
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of sending out absentee ballots and have commenced the process of creating and testing the
election day ballot, Petitioner has severely prejudiced the various county boards of elections
throughout the state as is more fully set forth in the Declaration of Bonnie Garone, Chief Clerk
of the Nassau County Board of Elections annexed to the Memorandum of Law in Support of
Motion to Dismiss as Appendix "A" at ~ ~ " 1 " through -"5".
The Petition/Complaint Fails to State a Cause of Action
18. As is more fully set forth in the Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss,
Petitioner predicates his case upon a misreading of the controlling statute, Election Law 4-
108(3) and the controlling Statute of Limitations, Election Law 16-104(3).
19. As the Court's jurisdiction in an Election Law case is dependent upon the petitioner
having brought he challenge in a timely manner, here the Court lacks jurisdiction as the
proceeding is untimely and the Court is without authority to extend the time within which to
bring the proceeding.
Failure to Join Necessary Party
20. At the outset of any consideration ofthis case, it is critical to discern who the Petitioner
has brought before the court and who he had not.
21. A reading ofthe caption and of the Petition/Compliant makes it clear that only James A.
Walsh and Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chairman have been brought before the Court. The State
Board of Elections is not before the Court, nor are all of its Commissioners.
22. Petitioner could have properly sued either the State Board as an entity or all of its
Commissioners to provide the Court with jurisdiction over all the necessary parties.
23. The Court may take judicial notice of the Legislature's fiat that in order for the State
Board of Elections to take an action, the affirmative vote of three (3) Commissioners is required
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(Election Law 3-100(4):
The affirmative vote of three commissioners shall be required for any official
action of the state board of elections.
24. In the face of this statutory requirement, the Respondents before the Court at this time
would be powerless to alter the action taken by the State Board of Elections on July 29,2013,
even if this Court were to enter an Order in favor of Petitioner.
25. Petitioner's choice not to name either the Board as an entity or all of its commissioners in
their official capacities has created this impediment to the Court's ability to fashion meaningful
relief.
26. Clearly then, the "court should not proceed in the absence of a person who should be a
party" (CPLR 3211 (a)(l 0). That person would of course be, either the remaining two
Commissioners or the Board as an entity.
27. The Petition/Compliant offers no justification for the failure to name those parties and
there simply is no justification for the failure to do so.
28. In another case the appropriate remedy might be an Order mandating that Petition join
either the Board or the remaining commissioners but, for the reasons set forth hereinafter, in this
case that would not be an appropriate solution to Petitioner's self-created impediment to the court
proceeding herein.
Petitioner's Amended Petition/Compliant is a Nullity
31, As is more fully set out in the Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss,
Petitioner has unilaterally served upon the Respondents Walsh and Kellner an "Amended
petition/Complaint which attempts to add new claims and new parties.
32. Such activity is statutorily prohibited in an Article 16 proceeding, and must be seen as a
nullity for the reason set forth in the Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss,
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33. Affiant brings this to the Court's attention by way of explanation as to why those new
parties have not, and in the absence of the service upon them of a judicial order commanding
them to respond, will not respond to the Amended Petition/Compliant.
34. Commissioners Aquila and Peterson are not submitting themselves to the jurisdiction of
the Court in this proceeding not is the State Board of Elections by advising the Court of
Petitioner's activity in this regard.
35. Similarly Respondents Walsh and Kellner have been commanded by Judge Lynch's
Order to Show Cause to answer the original Petition/Compliant and Petitioner's failure to seek
judicial authorization for his new pleading in violation of Election Law 16-116 absolves them
from the obligation to answer or otherwise move against such claims at this time.
WHEREFORE Affiant prays for an Order dismissing this proceeding its entirety for the
Reasons set forth hereinabove and in the Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion together
with such other and further relief as to the Court may seem just.
October 9,2013
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