Actor Tim Robbins Stymied At Polls

Last Tuesday I entered my polling center which is located i the building where I live. For the second time this year I was told that my name was not listed with the other voters and it had been removed. I asked them why this happened and was told that they did not know.

I register yet I am not permitted to vote nor is my paper vote counted judging by the letter I received from the Board of Elections on Varick Street.

I am receiving jury duty notices yet I am not allowed to vote. No one is giving me a valid reason and will not tell me a darn thing. What can I do?

oh come on, everyone, do some homework before you take Tim Robbins word about anything. From the 11/4/2008 New York Times "City Room" blog:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/tim-robbins-encounters-confusion-at-the-polls/?scp=2&sq=tim%20robbins&st=cse

"...Late Tuesday afternoon, Valeria Vazquez Rivera, a spokeswoman for the city’s Board of Elections, said that Mr. Robbins actually had two registrations on file one under the name Tim Robbins and the other under the name Timothy Robbins with two different addresses, one of them outdated. The duplicate record appeared to have been the cause of the mix-up involving Mr. Robbins."

So Robbins' problems were apparantly of his own making. Good job, Tim! And how many voters did *you* delay yesterday while you were at the McBurney "Y", Tim?

Just remember this variation of Occam's Razor when it comes to politics and government:

Never attribute something to conspiracy when it can easily be explained by incompetence and/or ignorance (in this case, incompetence of the *voter*)

I don't know what Tim is crying about.

This Obama supporter admits he voted twice!

All hail the Cult of Obama. THE ONE has been elected. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Obama.

Hey Tim could you please redistribute some of your wealth to me? I'll send you my address and you can send me a monthly check personally. Thanks in advance

I find it absolutely astonishing when these liberal, wining, overly pampered, pain in the backside actors believe they need to step up to the proverbial plate, voice their political opinions and expect the world to stop an listen, especially you Tim Robbins. Somehow you believe that America sincerely cares about you and your self-important, elaborately-worded rhetoric which only succeeds in making you sound more pretentious than you already are.



You live in a fantasy world with your multi-million dollar homes, exotic cars and plastic woman, believing that you’re just simple everyday Joe who everyone adores and that America will embrace every little bit of crap that comes out of your mouth simply because of who you are. The truth is Tim, we don’t care... you’re not real, and quite frankly your an embarrassment. You want all of us to believe that you are no different, yet when a problem occurs like today, you make it out to be some frickin' conspiracy. Suddenly it’s all about you, and because you’re Tim Robbins the world must stop and correct itself, just for you.



Today was a simple mistake that most likely will happen to democrats and republican alike. I know you feel more important than all of us, but your not. The evil empire and its flag that you so willingly choose to live under, did not conspire to cause you grief, it happens, welcome to the real world Tim, it stinks being a common Joe doesn't it...

Timmy Robbins is your typical left wing Obama cult member who thinks he is better than everyone because he is part of Hollywood.

well, now i know what happened to me this morning. I wasn't on the roll in my precinct even though i looked myself up in the NYS voter registration database yesterday and went to the polling place they told me to. I didn't notice that little line that said "Vote registration status: inactive".

I filed a paper affidavit ballot but man, i wish i had calld election protection first. i just did so now, fully intending to go all Tim Robbins on a judge after work, but they told me i couldn't petition to pull a lever after i'd already submitted an affidavit ballot.

They said they're keeping record of everybody from New York who's called in with this problem.

It just blows my mind that this wasn't bigger news before the election.

And I'm doubly pissed that i was IN A DMV on that last friday that you could register to vote in New York state, replacing a lost driver's licence. I updated my address with the DMV and with the board of elections at hte same time (on the same form) but never had new election material mailed to me confirming my new address and new polling site.

just disgraceful, shameful, infuriating incompetence and beurocratic failure. is there somebody i can punch for this?

I think no one ever proved anyne "accidentally" voted for Buchanan, but as you pointed out a Democrat would have been the cause of it.

It's a good thing he didn't get to frisky or they would have put his ass back in Shawshank.

Kevinsmith5: A democrat was responsible for the butterfly ballot in West Palm Beach, election 2000. That was responsible for 18,000 votes for Pat Buchanan. How close was that election?

h

someone probably registered in tims name and could not be verified. Thanks ACORN

To be honest, I moved about 3 months ago. But decided not to update my address until after the election, thinking about any possible mixed up. I have family that still reside at my old address so I don't see it as a huge issue.

I voted on the primaries in under 10 minutes, I'm hoping to have the same experience with the big one!

Aren't pretty much all the elections officials in that district (and County) Democrats? Wouldn't that mean that is there was a foul-up it was on the part of Democrats? I think alot of people tend to forget that these precincts are run by local officials, so if they screw things up it is the locals, in this case Democrats, who screw it up.

It might be worht noting that the Acorn voter registrations that caused so many problems often invloved them using the names of celebrities on the fake card they filled out. What if someone getting paid by the registration used Robbins name?

MS - that is the most ignorant comment. In 2000, 20,000 voters were purged from Florida by Katherine Harris a Republican. In 2004, thousands of voters were purged by Ken Blackwell another Republican in charge of Ohio's election. Reports of this year's shenanigans are just as bad.

The fact that a handful of Acorn registrations were bogus doesn't rise to the level. Not even close.

I live on the same block as Tim and Susan - I see them all the time. I vote at the McBurney Y, too. They have lived quietly in the neighborhood and advocated for the neighborhood for 15 years. They are good neighbors.

My next door neighbors were voting today at the same time as Tim Robbins. They said Tim was not yelling; he was annoyed but not obnoxious and was not rude to the workers. And Robbins on TMZ does point out that he's lucky that he has the time (4 hours!) to be able to make this right - too many people don't. So ease up and focus on the issue, as zodak says.

Well, the ACORN voters will counter this. All evens out or tilts Democratic in the end.

i'm amazed that more people care about robbins being a douche than they do about the point that he brought up:

if people are being removed IN NYC, A BLUE STATE, then people are being screwed in battleground states & the repugnicans might steal another election.

seriously, stop hating & get a clue.

freakin Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies of all time.

when do they purge you from the rolls?

Bozack - that's a bs answer if there ever was one. I'm unaffilliated, independent or whatever they call it these days so I obviously didn't vote in the primary but my name was there in the registry today.

And as much as that sucks for Tim Robbins I can totally envision him acting like an asshole to the point where he was making it impossible for anyone else to vote. There is only so much a poll worker can do so in the end he did the right thing by going to 200 Varick although perhaps he could have called first.

Good thing Obama is going to win because otherwise we would have to hear Robbins tell this story over and over.

Update: The braniacs at the Board of Elections (212) NYC VOTE), told me - and I quote: "The reason you are no longer in the voter registry is because you are an independent and didn't vote in the primary." WTF!!?? Actually, I'm "no party affiliated," and what bearing should that have on my right to vote? So pissed right now....

Roger McDowell, that might have been me. My wife and I went to the same place we went for the primary. Her name was on the list, mine was not. We both received our "Important Voting Information" thingies on the same date, with the same information (except our names, of course.)

I completed the affidavit and paper ballot... but I'm less than confident that it will go anywhere but the garbage.

The same f'ing thing happened to me. I had to do an affidavit ballot - which probably won't count. I'm so pissed. I pay my taxes, and have voted at the same damn place for the last 3 presidential elections. I had to leave the voting place 'cos I wanted to f'ing break something and go nuts.

The SAME thing happened to ME!!! I called the board of elections and they said the were behind in preocessing voter registration!! BEHIND!!!

They let me paper vote but still not the same...

I called Barack HDQ to let them know... every one is so busy today.. if this happens follow up after the election.

FOLLOW UP WITH PEOPLE..

that's right Tim, bring on the Noise

go tim robbins!

"But depending on how database name matching is done, this can result in many legally registered voters being removed from the rolls or set to “Inactive” status, which means on Election Day their names will not be in the poll book, and they will not be able to vote."

After reading that sentence, I think I have a simple answer to the problem. Instead of naming your kids John Smith and Mary Williams or whatever, name them things like Apple Butter Smith or Pancake Syrup Williams or Laquonkishiminirawzonda Chylamidia Jackson.

scary and such. glad he took action and was able to vote. damn though--how many people are getting screwed out of a vote because they don't have time or wherewithal to do what he did?

More than we'd like to believe, I'm sure. The polls in this part of lower Manhattan were chaos this morning. I was originally told I wasn't on the list and it turned out the poll worker hadn't read my name correctly. There were others there who had been given paper ballots.

one commenter on the times web page responded to this story by suggesting Mr. Robbins volunteer as a poll worker for a future election. excellent idea.

he could insure that the democratic process works for others instead of just complaining. i agree with his and Ms. Sarandon's sentiments and think he did the right thing refusing to submit a paper ballot. good that he had the time to go downtown and then back to 14th st. most of us had to get to work.

bravo to poll workers at John Jay HS in Park Slope:

more than 200 people in line at 6:10 AM...we were greeted cheerfully by poll workers, effortlessly directed to our machine and out of there in about 30 minutes after joining the line. one very happy woman left the school after voting and was heard to declare "hallelujah!!!"

Tim and Susan take a lot of heat for speaking up on various issues. I'm glad they do speak out. They really do live in the hood here (instead of hiding in Malibu in some huge house which they could probably afford). Love to see them out and about walkin the dog. I think they are a great example. It seems that most folks respect their privacy on the street. Gotta love NY.

scary and such. glad he took action and was able to vote. damn though--how many people are getting screwed out of a vote because they don't have time or wherewithal to do what he did?

Though I like his films and his politics, Tim Robbins certainly seems douchey (and is an awful interview whenever I've seen him on Letterman or Conan). Despite the douchiness, it's great that he took the time to contest the issue and impressive that a Civil Court judge issued an emergency order.

Do they have Civil Court judges set up to specially deal with voter issues on election days?

"booo whoooo another celebrity gets attention to something that happens to a large amount of people..."

If it brings the public's attention to the problem, you can't really argue with him complaining and Gothamist/City Room making a story of it.

This is because of New York State having to comply with the HAVA Act. I didn't receive a voter card in the mail this year, so I wanted to double check my polling place last night and found that my voting status was listed as "inactive". I voted last in 2004. When I looked it up online I found Bo Lipari's Blog:

"HAVA required substantial changes to the way voter registration lists are managed, requiring that all states maintain a single statewide database, and that voter registration records be purged of incorrect records. But depending on how database name matching is done, this can result in many legally registered voters being removed from the rolls or set to “Inactive” status, which means on Election Day their names will not be in the poll book, and they will not be able to vote."

1,661,244 New Yorkers were listed as Inactive or Purged.

"New York City Board of Elections has set over a half a million voter records to “Inactive” status because they did not respond to a letter from the Board saying they intended to cancel their registration (NYSVOTER lists this reason as “MAIL CHECK”)"

I do not recall receiving my letter.

booo whoooo another celebrity gets attention to something that happens to a large amount of people...

short story (because no one cares because I'm not famous nor is my wife)

got married a year ago... updated the voter registration at the DMV for my wife... go online last night to check (cause she's good like that) and we figure out that her married name isnt in the system nor is the move/change of address) so she had to go to her old neighborhood to vote... and I went the my usual polling place...

Ha, I was actually an extra in Bob Roberts, they filmed scenes in my high school. I had zero wait at my downtown brooklyn location at noon.

voted on 17th btwn 8th and 9th at 11 am. took me about one minute.

My name was there, but the two people in front of me were livid that theirs weren't.

overshare

no problem for me. I voted in a record Minute in line. 2:30 at the manhattan court house. Easy peasy not japanesy. I saw the line this morning and it was crazy town. Came back in the afternoon after getting my free starbucks coffee and there was no one in line. I spent 5 seconds in the voting booth. red lever right, all democrat down the line and then pull to the left. That's how it should be done. Sadly the rest of American doesn't have it that good.

same thing happened to me at the swingin sixties senior center in williamsburg. i've been voting here for years and was pretty pissed. plus, it was early on and there was quite a stack of paper ballots already submitted.

When I first read this I thought there goes that Tim Robbins again, I'm only a fan of his work, some of it.

Now I read this and I'm on his side. What a load of BS. And 40 other people had the same problem.

It happened to my friend in Valley Stream. Voting for years at the same place and then her name mysteriously disappeared today.

Same thing happened to the guy in front of me in Park Slope. They gave him a paper ballot but it was pretty unconvincing that that piece of paper would end up anywhere but the garbage. The guy was there with his wife and said he had voted there for years. He took it in stride, I would have been way more pissed if it was me. The system is overwhelmed and will never be completely correct but this seems over the top.