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A year after Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, a legal battle in a quiet New York county is reviving questions about the 2024 presidential election—this time, from the other side of the political aisle.A lawsuit filed in Rockland County, New York, by legal advocacy group SMART Legislation, has been admitted by the county's Supreme Court. The case claims that hundreds of votes—particularly for Kamala Harris—were not counted by voting machines during the 2024 election. With the next hearing scheduled for September 22, 2025, the lawsuit could lead to a full hand recount and potentially ignite changes in how US elections are run, even though Trump’s victory remains untouched.
What exactly is the lawsuit about?
The petition alleges that five voting machines in Ramapo, a town in Rockland County, recorded zero votes for president—even as the same ballots reflected votes in races for Congress and the Senate. Multiple voters and poll workers have submitted sworn affidavits, stating they voted for Harris, only to later discover their votes hadn’t registered in the final count.The group behind the case, SMART Legislation (linked to election watchdog SMART Elections), argues that this is not a clerical error but a systemic failure that undermines voter trust.
Why Rockland County, and why now?
While the 2024 election is long certified and Trump is in office, Rockland has emerged as an unusual data point. Experts point out that it is highly improbable—statistically and procedurally—for voting machines to register votes in down-ballot races but show blank presidential fields.Even more concerning is the claim that the machines were updated weeks before the election using software reviewed by private vendor Pro V&V, with no public record of the changes.
These undisclosed updates have triggered alarms among transparency advocates.
What is the lawsuit asking for?
The plaintiffs want a full hand recount of the ballots from the machines in question. The court has permitted full discovery, meaning the petitioners can now subpoena machine logs, request internal communications, and call election officials to testify under oath.Legal analysts say that while the outcome won’t overturn Trump’s presidency, it could shed light on election system vulnerabilities and set precedent for future legal challenges.
Could this change the 2024 result?
No. Donald Trump’s 2024 victory has been certified, and even if hundreds of Harris votes were missed in Rockland County, they wouldn’t tip the national scale.However, the broader implications are significant:If machine errors are confirmed, it may trigger audits in other counties.There could be state or federal pressure to mandate new voting machine standards.Lawmakers might be compelled to reconsider electronic-only ballots and restore hand-marked systems.
Why are experts paying attention?
Election security expert Susan Greenhalgh has flagged the Rockland anomalies as “deeply suspicious,” especially the pattern of blank presidential columns amid valid votes elsewhere on the same ballots. According to her, such occurrences are virtually unheard of and point to either technical malfunction or misconfiguration.The fact that the machines in question received last-minute software tweaks behind closed doors only amplifies the concerns.
What could happen next?
With the court allowing the lawsuit to proceed:A hand recount in Ramapo will compare paper ballots to machine tallies.The discovery process may reveal how the machines were programmed and whether updates affected vote integrity.Depending on what’s uncovered, the case could lead to policy changes, either through legislation or state-level directives on election systems.
The larger takeaway
This case isn’t about reversing the result of the 2024 election—but about safeguarding the next one. For Democrats, it’s a moment to reclaim the election integrity debate. For election administrators, it’s a reminder that transparency isn’t optional—even when it comes a year too late.As the September hearing approaches, Rockland County may become the unlikely ground zero of a larger national conversation: how does America ensure that every vote—whether cast for Trump or Harris—is actually counted?
English (US)