Do they have him pilot the ship or let him walk the board?
The founder of the popular pirate booty snack has declared himself Quaint Long Island Village mayoral election Tuesday – Just 30 minutes after the poll began.
Robert Erich's wild declaration comes a week after the 66-year-old political newcomer announced he is currently in charge of a community of 5,000 people to raid the halls of a village on the sea cliffs.
“I declare myself the winner,” Erich told the Post well before 9pm on Tuesday.
Ehrlich, who has not participated in the official poll, took part in the mayoral race last week as a potential writer.
He said he had been out since 6am on Tuesday, gathering nearly 800 “votes” in homemade paper ballots.
Ehrlich avoided arrest for succeeding in claiming that his vote was merely comparable to the polls, but he also argued that the outcome was uncontroversial and outlined his own clear victory over the incumbent Mayor Elena Villafane.
Villafane ran unopposed in what appears to be a simple election – with the antics of the halls of the village of Ehrlich, he tried to fire everyone before being asked to leave.
Incumbents say that during his tenure, Ehrlich had never shown any kind of genuine interest in attending meetings, attending committees, or engaged in local politics by last week, and was able to vote easily.
Ehrlich retorted that he would no longer try to do the “right way” and insisted that the village would not fulfill it by rules.
The small town showdown appears to have encouraged many sea cliff residents to exercise their civic duties.
Tim Wegner, a 29-year-old sea cliff resident, told the Post outside the location of the polling.
Wegner said he and many of his friends who have never voted in local elections before felt their vote had been a bit heavy this time due to the frenzy caused by Ehrlich.
In addition to claiming victory in Tuesday's election, Ehrlich claims he is already the mayor of the new village who made the day he walked into the village hall.
Ehrlich argued that through a lesser-known state law called the Civil Empowerment Act, he plans to create this new entity and integrate both communities.
The Village of the Sea Cliffs claimed Erich's claim was “invalid and unsupported by law.”
Ehrlich is currently urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to join in “setting the record straight” for the sea cliffs.
He also says he expects a long battle before him and expects his fight to be taken to court as mayoral status.
