The Board of Elections is set to certify the results of a Republican primary for a Brooklyn-based City Council seat on Tuesday even as allegations of voter fraud have loomed over the contest — infuriating the Democratic candidate in the race who believes matters should be put on hold until the irregularities can be investigated.
Kayla Santosuosso, who won last month’s Democratic primary for the 47th Council District, told the Daily News she has this week pleaded with the Board of Elections to delay certifying the results of the GOP primary in the 47th because of the voter fraud suspicions.
Santosuosso’s push comes after the board last week announced it had discovered 22 “potentially fraudulent” ballots cast in the GOP primary — a finding that could’ve been significant as ardent pro-Trump candidate George Sarantopoulos leads the race by just 32 votes over Richie Barsamian, the Brooklyn Republican Party’s chairman.
The board says it has tossed those votes, but also revealed last week it is not invalidating at least two additional ballots cast in the names of individuals who are dead, though it did say it referred those findings to the Brooklyn district attorney’s office, which has launched an investigation.
Despite the ballot irregularities and Santosuosso’s request for a pause, Vinny Ignizio, the BOE’s deputy executive director, confirmed Tuesday morning that the board would later Tuesday certify the 47th GOP primary, saying his team has “completed a comprehensive and transparent review of all valid ballots, including a full hand count.”
“The outcome of the race has remained consistent at every stage. In accordance with New York State Election Law, all valid votes have been properly counted,” Ignizio said. “Our responsibility now is to certify the results and proceed with preparations for the general election in November. Any specific allegations of fraud will be handled appropriately by the district attorney’s office.”
People vote at a polling location at Louis D. Brandeis High School on mayoral primary election day in the Manhattan borough of New York City on June 24, 2025. New York Democrats cast ballots Tuesday under smothering summer heat to choose the likely next leader of the largest US city, someone voters say must resist President Donald Trump and provide relief to high costs of living. With about a dozen candidates offering a range of personalities and proposals, the race is an increasingly tight contest between former governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, and state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, 33, who has mounted a surprise challenge to the better-known but tainted frontrunner. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Santosuosso, voicing concern there could be more fraudulent ballots in the mix that haven’t been detected yet, blasted the board’s decision.
“The Board of Elections is certifying an election that includes ballots from dead people,” she said. “If Republicans actually believe their own hype about election integrity, they’d be standing with me demanding a real investigation before this election is certified.”
The campaigns of Sarantopoulos and Barsamian did not immediately return requests for comment.
The 47th Council District, which is currently represented by term-limited Councilman Justin Brannan, spans Bay Ridge, Coney Island and some other neighboring southern Brooklyn areas.
The district is expected to be one of the most competitive Council contests in November’s general election, with many southern Brooklyn neighborhoods trending more conservative in recent years.
Santosuosso is the chief counsel in Brannan’s government office and has his backing in her bid to succeed him.