FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2026
Mount Pleasant, NY — The Mount Pleasant Town Board voted to approve a settlement that changes how the town elects Town Board members, adopting a district-based election system and expanding the board by two seats. The vote resolves a lawsuit alleging that the town’s current election system diluted the voting strength of Hispanic residents. The case was led by David Imamura, with Amy Marion serving as lead trial counsel throughout the litigation.
The case, Serratto v. Town of Mount Pleasant, challenged the Town’s longstanding at-large system for electing Town Board members. Plaintiffs argued that the structure prevented the town’s growing Hispanic community — particularly residents concentrated in the Village of Sleepy Hollow — from electing candidates of their choice because their votes were diluted in town-wide elections dominated by the broader electorate.
Under the agreement, the Town of Mount Pleasant will replace its at-large system with a district-based election structure that includes a new district encompassing the Village of Sleepy Hollow and a new district for the Village of Pleasantville. The settlement also expands the Town Board by adding two additional seats. This settlement establishes an electoral structure that more adequately provides equitable representation for all residents of Mount Pleasant.
The lawsuit was among the first filed under the New York Voting Rights Act, enacted in 2022 to prohibit discriminatory election practices, including vote dilution.
Under the settlement approved Tuesday night, Mount Pleasant will replace its at-large election system with a district-based structure that creates separate districts for the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Village of Pleasantville. The agreement also expands the Town Board by adding two new seats, establishing an electoral structure intended to provide more equitable representation for residents across the town.
This marks the second settlement of a New York State Voting Rights Act lawsuit in the past two weeks. In late February, a similar lawsuit against the Town of Newburgh was resolved.
“I am proud to have been part of achieving representation for the Latino community” said Plaintiff Sergio Serratto. “Now we will finally have our voice heard.”
Abrams Fensterman, LLP, together with the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School, represented the plaintiffs in challenging Mount Pleasant’s at-large election system.
“After years without having any say in their government, the Hispanic population of Mount Pleasant will finally have their seat at the table” said David Imamura, Partner at Abrams Fensterman, LLP and former Chair of the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, who served as one of the lead attorneys for the Plaintiffs. “We thank the Town of Mount Pleasant for working with us to ensure that voters of all races are able to have a voice.”
As part of the settlement, the Town of Mount Pleasant will pay $1.425 million in attorneys’ fees and costs to plaintiffs’ counsel. The Town has also paid at least $1.4 million in legal fees and costs to its own attorneys in connection with the case.
The Mount Pleasant settlement follows a similar agreement reached in late February in a lawsuit against the Town of Newburgh, also brought by Abrams Fensterman, LLP and the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School. That case alleged dilution of the votes of Black and Hispanic residents. Under that settlement, the Town of Newburgh agreed to adopt proportional ranked-choice voting for its Town Council elections. The Town of Newburgh also agreed to pay $1.6 million in attorneys’ fees and costs to plaintiffs’ counsel and spent at least $2.2 million on its own legal defense.
For more information, please contact:
David Imamura, Esq.
Partner, Abrams Fensterman, LLP
[email protected]
914-607-7065
David Imamura, Esq. is a Partner in Abrams Fensterman’s White Plains office and a leading voice in election law, civil litigation, and voting rights. A former Chair of New York’s Independent Redistricting Commission, he brought the first case under the NYS Voting Rights Act and currently serves as a Westchester County Legislator.
About Abrams Fensterman, LLP
Abrams Fensterman is a full-service law firm with offices across New York State, dedicated to advancing justice, protecting voting rights, and ensuring equitable representation for all New Yorkers. Our Election Law practice is proud to partner with leading institutions such as the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School to defend and strengthen democratic participation.
