Achieve Party withdraws lawsuit, paves way for UCP incumbent win

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Facing an insurmountable lead, Valley Stream's Achieve Party announced that it is withdrawing its injunction lawsuit over absentee ballots after unofficial machine tallies showed that it was unlikely the ballots would make a difference in the final results of the race. The development paves the way for Valley Stream's incumbent Mayor Ed Fare and his United Community Party slate to declare a win.

Achieve Party village justice candidate David Sparrow, who works as an attorney, had filed for an injunction on election day over the counting of 466 absentee ballots that had been dropped off at Village Hall, citing irregularities. In response to the filing, Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Randy Sue Marber ordered them sealed, pending a review of the case scheduled for Friday.

Upon viewing of the unofficial results, however, the Achieve Party Slate began the process of withdrawing the lawsuit, and conceding the race.

"Based on the tally of the machine-counted ballots, and the margin of difference, we felt that the issue of the irregularities in the absentee ballots are now irrelevant," Sparrow said. "At this juncture we want to graciously concede the election to the United Community Party."

He thanked the Achieve Party's supporters for a hard fought race.

In response to the unofficial results, Mayor Ed Fare said he looked forward to another four years serving the community.