Election Law: Pelham Manor Police Visit 16 Homes for Residency Checks

Pelham Manor police detectives knocked on the doors of 16 local voters on Friday, October 23, to verify their residency status. The visits occurred 11 days before the November 3 election. The checks were conducted at the request of the Westchester County Board of Elections.

Here are the key facts regarding the investigation and the individuals involved.

Mark Cardwell filed all 16 challenge affidavits. Cardwell, a Democrat, lost the Pelham Manor mayoral race in 2025 and a trustee race in March 2024. In the sworn documents, he cited his personal knowledge as the basis for the challenges. However, several voters told the Pelham Examiner they had never met or spoken with Cardwell before the police visits. None of the 16 residents targeted by the investigation are registered Democrats.

New York Election Law Section 5-702 requires the Board of Elections to forward voter check cards to local police when a post-registration challenge is submitted. Police must complete the investigation within five days. This statutory process sends officers to residents' homes to confirm where they live. Cardwell argued that the checks were necessary to ensure election integrity. He noted that the village faces safety issues and that police resources are stretched thin.

This is the second time in two years that Pelham Manor residents have faced pre-election police visits. In October 2024, Westchester County District Attorney investigators visited homes to review absentee ballots from the March 2024 village election. That investigation targeted sitting Trustees Tim Case and Breda Bennett, among others. During a separate 2024 Board of Education election, challengers submitted social media screenshots and minor league baseball statistics to dispute voter residency. In both previous instances, most of the challenged voters were not registered Democrats.

State law allows voters with dual residences to choose where they register. New York Election Law Section 1-104(22) and court rulings from 1983 and 2008 confirm that voters do not need to be physically present at their registered address every day. They must maintain legitimate and continuing attachments to the residence. Steven Shekane, a Pelham Manor resident, wrote to the Examiner to describe the emotional impact of the police visits. He noted that one woman fell to her knees in tears during a similar visit in 2024, fearing bad news about her child.

Cardwell maintained that the filings followed proper procedure. He stated that political rivals should be settled at the ballot box, not through police interactions. The Pelham Manor Police Department confirmed the visits were routine residency checks. The village population is approximately 5,500. The next election is scheduled for November 3.