Filed Date: July 12, 2021
Closed Date: March 31, 2025
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This case is about the Oneida County Board of Elections not processing timely-filed voter registration applications before the 2020 election. New York’s voter registration deadline for the 2020 election was October 9, 2020. However, the Oneida County Board of Elections stopped processing online voter registrations—including those submitted and received electronically from the DMV—beginning on September 25, 2020. As a result, the Board failed to add approximately 2,418 applicants who registered at the DMV to the official list of eligible voters for the 2020 election. After the election, the Board rejected nearly 1,800 provisional ballots without reviewing or otherwise canvasing them. The Board did not disclose its failure to process the timely filed DMV applications until January 6, 2021.
On July 12, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. The DOJ sued the Oneida County Board of Elections under Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), 52 U.S.C. § 20507, and Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), 52 U.S.C. § 21082. The DOJ sought an order 1) declaring that the Board had violated Section 8 of the NVRA and Section 302 of the HAVA; 2) permanently enjoining the Board from failing to process voter registration applications or failing to notify voter applicants as to the disposition of their registration applications; 3) permanently enjoining the Board to promptly verify all provisional ballots; and 4) directing the Board to submit a remedial plan to ensure future compliance with the NVRA and HAVA. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino.
On July 13, 2021, the parties agreed to the entry of a consent decree. The consent decree provided all the relief sought by the DOJ and detailed the requirements for the Board’s remedial plan. On January 17, 2025, following the 2024 election, the Board provided a compliance report to the DOJ. On March 19, 2025, the DOJ informed the Board that it had demonstrated compliance with the consent decree. On March 31, 2025, both parties stipulated that it was appropriate to terminate the consent decree, which the court approved.
Summary Authors
John McGinnis (5/5/2025)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60053970/parties/united-states-v-oneida-county-board-of-elections/
D'Agostino, Mae Avila (New York)
Evans, Rachel R. (New York)
Heard, Bradley E (New York)
Hoggan, John D. (New York)
Rayhill, Peter M. (New York)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60053970/united-states-v-oneida-county-board-of-elections/
Last updated Sept. 19, 2025, 8:22 a.m.
State / Territory: New York
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 12, 2021
Closing Date: March 31, 2025
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Department of Justice
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Oneida County Board of Elections (Oneida County, Oneida), County
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Help America Vote Act (HAVA), 52 U.S.C. § 20901 et seq (previously 42 U.S.C. § 15301 et seq)
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Content of Injunction:
Issues
Voting: