Seven voters in Monroe County filed suit this week in federal court saying they are being denied their rights to vote for a representative because Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not declare a special election in the 25th Congressional District to replace the late U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter.
Slaughter, who represented the Rochester area in Congress for more than 30 years, died March 16.
The lawsuit also names the New York state Board of Elections and and Monroe County Board of Elections as defendants. The voters filed the lawsuit "for all similarly situated voters" in the district.
They claim that they "are being denied their right to vote" for a representative in the now vacant district.
They said Cuomo and the board of elections violated both the United States and New York state constitutions by failing to call for a special election. A Democratic Party primary is set for June 25. The general election is in November.
The voters who filed the lawsuit are enrolled as Democrats, Republicans, and one is not enrolled in a party at all.
