Queens Elector Casts Ballot As Tortured Election Closes

City Council Member Helen Marshall of East Elmhurst was one of two Democratic electors in Queens out of 33 in the state who rose on the floor of the jam-packed Senate Chamber in Albany on Monday to cast a vote for Democratic standard bearer Al Gore and vice presidential nominee, Senator Joe Lieberman.
The electors made it unanimous. The states 33 electoral votes went to Gore and Lieberman. Unlike the election that preceded it, the Albany event ran smoothly. No pregnant chads, legal contests, fishy court rulings or rhetoric from Democratic or Republican spin doctors.
In fact, there were no surprises at all; an unlikely finale to the razor-thin race that divided Americans. But emotions ran strong among Democratic electors casting votes for the losing candidates in one of the nations most controversial elections.
The electoral ceremony was performed at the same time in state capitals around the country. Despite hundreds of e-mails sent by Democrats to Republican electors asking them to switch allegiance from George W. Bush to Gore, the electors all remained faithful to Bush.
"I am delighted to be voting for Al Gore in this historic election," Marshall said after dropping her ballot in the box. The other Queens official on hand in Albany was former Congressman Thomas Manton. Both were selected as electors by the State Democratic Committee.
Marshall was elected by the electors as permanent secretary of the College and read the roll call of electors.
She was elated by the role assigned her by the Democratic electors.
"It was great," she concluded.
The council member said that speaker after speaker at the Electoral College meeting condemned the U.S. Supreme Court for its "devastating partisan vote."
Marshall told The Queens Courier that Gore won a huge victory in her district and she was in Albany to reflect that sweeping win.
But Florida was a different story.
"There was complete chaos in Florida," Marshall recalled. Asked about media groups recounting the disputed Florida election, she said, "It will be very interesting and might raise hell in January."
Should the electoral college system be overhauled?
"There are other options that could be considered," she said. "I prefer a winner take all situation based on Congressional Districts."
A spokesperson for New Yorks secretary of state said that unlike previous electoral college ceremonies this one filled the press gallery with media. It seemed that suddenly the venerable Electoral College was going to get its 15 minutes of fame.
New Yorks ballots were slipped into a 16-pound mahogany box with a a brass latch, from which they were later removed and read aloud. Following Mondays vote, the results will be sent to Washington, where they are officially tallied by a joint session of Congress during the first week of January.
Marshall, who has performed this electoral chore on two previous occasions, admitted to strong emotions when the decisive U.S. Supreme Court decision was handed down.