Judge Dismissed Ballot Fraud Case in Syracuse Primary
A court dismissed fraud allegations in the 16th Legislative District race after officials found six illegal applications.
Updated on Sept. 18, 2026 in Elections
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Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri dismissed a fraud case involving six mail-in ballot applications in the 16th Legislative District Democratic primary. The Onondaga County Board of Elections never issued the fraudulent ballots, and the outcome of the race stands.
Why it matters
The District Attorney initiated an investigation into the primary after allegations surfaced that agents from Nyatwa Bullock's campaign requested applications for voters who did not authorize them. While the court paused the vote count during the proceedings, the investigation confirmed the fraudulent ballots were never cast.
The District Attorney's office identified six fraudulent mail-in ballot applications out of the total votes cast in the 16th Legislative District primary. Nyatwa Bullock defeated Charlene Tarver by a margin of 7 votes, with 434 and 427 votes respectively.
The players
Gerard Neri
He is a Supreme Court Justice who presided over the election fraud case and issued the order to pause the ballot count.
Nyatwa Bullock
The candidate who won the Democratic primary race in the 16th Legislative District by seven votes.
Charlene Tarver
The candidate who lost the primary but secured the Working Families Party line for the upcoming fall election.
The details
The Board of Elections discovered the fraud by verifying signatures and confirming that voters had not requested the applications. Although the court paused counting during the inquiry, Justice Neri dismissed the case following a one-day trial without filing criminal charges.
Timeline
September 18, 2026: The article reporting the dismissal was published.
Political Context
This case mirrors challenges surrounding New York State Election Law regarding the verification of absentee ballot applications. Critics argue that tighter signature requirements are necessary to prevent the unauthorized requests seen in this district, while others maintain that existing verification processes effectively caught the fraud before it could impact the final results.
Voters in the 16th Legislative District can expect the election results to stand as certified following the court's dismissal of the fraud case. Residents should remain aware that Charlene Tarver remains on the ballot for the fall election under the Working Families Party line.
The takeaway
Election officials successfully intercepted the fraudulent applications before any illegal votes were counted, preserving the integrity of the primary outcome. Citizens are encouraged to monitor future ballot request notifications to verify that no applications are submitted in their name without authorization.
Further reading
For more information on the ongoing electoral process, visit Elections.
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