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Over the weekend Rock the Vote was accused by the New York Times of botching the registration of possibly 40,000 would-be New York voters. According to the article, the online registration forms for New Yorkers on Rock the Vote's website are addressed to the New York State Board of Elections, which does not handle voter registrations. As a result, the Board of Elections has had to redirect over 100,000 forms to the county election boards, and now there's a huge backlog. Today Rock the Vote is firing back at the Times, declaring in a statement that "they got the story dead wrong":
Twice in writing the Board of Elections confirmed that Rock the Vote gives registrants the correct mailing address. See the emails here. And today, the EAC again confirmed that our system is "current and correct."...A modest journalistic effort would have revealed what Rock The Vote has been warning for some time: elections officials nationwide are not prepared to process the enormous number of new voter registrations that have been submitted in this election cycle.But Robert Brehm, a spokesman for the state board, tells City Room, "It would have been faster for those organizations to direct people to mail them to their counties." A spokeswoman for the city's Board of Elections says they received almost 211,000 registrations in the last week of registration—not exclusively via Rock the Vote—and many of them cannot be processed because they miss crucial information. (Some states permit same-day registration and voting, but not the Empire State.)
Rock the Vote organizers say they will be working with attorneys, election experts, and the Board of Elections to make sure every single eligible person who mailed a registration application to the NYS Board of Elections is properly registered and able to vote. A message on the group's blog declares, "Together we can fix this. Together we can call out the real culprits." You can check to see if you're on an online voter list in New York State here, but just because you're name isn't on the online list, does not mean you aren't registered. If your name isn't online, follow up with your county election board.
Photo of Buckethead and others courtesy Rock the Vote's Flickr.
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I hate to be the a-hole, here...but I will be. If you didn't just turn 18 in the past two months, why the hell are you JUST registering to vote. Oh, you just moved here? Well, why don't you absentee vote in the state where you came from. Your vote is more likely to count there. Stop clogging up the system and use a little common sense. You can register months, even years before an electon! (*sarcasm*)
For most people it's a bad habit putting things off to the very last minute.
Just like how people wait until the very last minute doing their taxes or starting a paper in high school/college a day or two before it's due.
It is worse than the idiot factor. Voter fraud is much more damaging to the Republic than a few lazy or absent minded people failing to cast their votes.
When people begin to assume elections do not reflect the will of the people, they will cease to believe in the legitimacy of the government. That will hurt us all.
Looking at that picture I am not surprised they fucked up.
Are we sure that's actually Buckethead and not just a guy in a costume?
My (slightly lazy) boyfriend registered via Rock the Vote on the last day, and the paperwork went through without a problem.
This is exactly why I registered to vote at the DMV. You can never trust a third party.
there is no way there are going to make sure that over 100,000 forms are registered in NY in the next 9 days.
There is not much voter fraud, but there is a lot of voter suppression. A friend of mine who lives in Florida waited three hours in the Florida sun to vote; she said some people have to wait four hours. This is in early voting -- God knows what will happen on Election Day. Of course, it's Broward County, which is about as Democratic as New York City. The state government is Republican, so that might have something to do with the problems. The constant difficulties with registration seem to be another aspect of it. As my friend in Florida said (about the authorities): "If people vote, it's a problem."
I guess that means there's something good about it after all.
when I called the board of elections voter assistance hotline, I asked what would happen if it were 8:59pm and I were on a line around the block with 200 people waiting in front of me. The nice lady said, "I doubt that will happen." I responded by referring her to the situation in Florida with the early voters, waiting on lines two blocks long for up to three hours.
She said, "If you are on the premises you'll be allowed to vote." When asked if "around the block on a line two hundred people deep" meant "on the premises or not, she couldn't give me an answer.
So I'm assuming they will hold the doors open?
Also, I was told political NO T-SHIRTS! Take note, whatever you've heard. If you go wearing your political t-shirt, they won't let you within 100 feet of the polls, unless you cover up.
Everyone! Bring your cameras with you to the poll to film any abuses you see!
And don't flake on the vote!
Anyone under 30 should not vote because it is uncool and something old farts do. Stay home and watch MTV, drink Red Bull and party like there is no tomorrow. Voting is for losers.
FUCK YEAH #12
STAY HOME ON THE FOURTH
VOTING IS FOR LOSERS
THE SYSTEM IS CORRUPT
WHY BOTHER?
STAY HOME ON THE FOURTH
The blame for the backlog of voter registration in NY seems to be placed on the voters, namely for waiting til the last minute and overwhelming the election offices.
I am one of the people who is not registered despite having sent in my voter registration form through Rock the Vote. I did not wait til the October deadline, but mailed my form back out in August.
I spoke with a county elections personnel whose response to me was pretty much "Oh well. Too bad."
Thanks NY, Good job!!!