As a Board of Elections Commissioner, you would normally welcome acknowledgement from Mayor Michael Bloomberg — but not after the landslide of snafus that followed the introduction of the new modern paper ballot scanners.
Bloomberg placed the blame squarely on the backs of the city Board of Elections for the "royal screw up" in the Tuesday, September 14 primary debacle. Notified that some polling sites opened two to four hours late, he declared the process "totally unacceptable."
Voters found long lines, broken machines and inexperienced personnel at various polling places in Queens. Additionally, senior voters complained of illegible tiny type and a lack of privacy for their vote when they were forced to leave their ballots in a box to be scanned in later due to nonfunctioning scanners.
Calling for heads to roll at the Board of Elections, an administrative body of 10 commissioners, two from each borough recommended by both political parties and then appointed by the City Council for a term of four years, were State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and State Senator Eric Adams of Brooklyn.
"Some heads must roll," Adams said, adding the person at the top, the commissioner, should not have his job any longer.
Politicians like City Councilmember Dan Halloran said that “In Queens, the Democratic organization handpicks most poll employees. Privacy is of the essence. It doesn’t matter if you wear a poll coordinator nametag – no one has a right to know whom you vote for. This is critical to preventing harassment, discrimination and voter suppression."
We could not agree more. With the general election only weeks away, the turnout will be even larger than the primaries. The type will be even smaller on full ballots of candidates for all positions and there will be two charter questions to be decided to boot.
We will have only one chance to send our message to the White House, Congress, Albany and City Hall – Tuesday, November 2. If you want to affect change in your government and your representatives – especially in Albany – do not count on any help from the Board of Elections brain trust.
Do your homework now, go online and learn about the ballots and the new voting process and be sure to bring your reading glasses when you go to vote. Go early and make sure you cast your vote.
