June 15 polls closed earlier than residents told

A robocall voiced by Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel led some voters to believe they had an extra hour to vote in the Lawrence Village election, which took place on June 15.

"I don't think the vote would have turned on that, but it was incorrect information," said Kopel. "I feel badly." Kopel says he got the errant information from an article printed in the Five Towns Jewish Times. The publication had reported that voting would take place between the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The polls in fact closed at 9 p.m.

At least one potential voter who arrived several minutes after 9 p.m. at Lawrence Village Hall, the polling site, was told by Village Administrator David Smollett that she could not vote because it was after hours. Smollett asked if the potential voter had heard that she could vote until 10 p.m. from Legislator Kopel's office. She replied that she had. She was not able to vote.

Lawrence Trustee Edward Klar was re-elected, and Mayor Simon Felder, who chose to run for trustee rather than seek another term as mayor, also won. Klar and Felder beat David Stein and Faye Lowinger in the at-large race for two open trustee seats. Trustee Martin Oliner won the uncontested election for mayor with 731 votes.

The vote tally on June 15 left Felder with 559 votes, Klar, 416, Lowinger, 389, and Stein, 256. The two highest vote-getters won in an at-large election.

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