It's As If They Don't Want You To Vote...
Forget the scant coverage in the local press or that we had to read Dave Staba in the New York Times to find out what was going on in the Senate Race in our own district. Forget that several Black leaders have called for their constituents to stay home.
Today is an election day and lots of folks don’t know where to vote. Think you know where you’re supposed to go? You’d better call the number above to make sure.
It’s the Erie County Board of Elections and after a frustrating call with a gentleman who clearly learned his customer service skills from numerous episodes of Crank Yankers, we found out that because of “District Consolidation” not all polling places are open today and some have just been moved—at least that’s what Mr. Helpful just told us on the phone.
Here’s our plea. Don’t let this election be determined by apathy. We don’t care for whom, but today please call the number above, find out where to vote, and make a difference.
Please.
If you stay at home, you’re doing just what the system seems designed and orchestrated to force you to do.
Just wanting to share:
I called the above number & got a man on the phone. I gave him my address & cross streets and said I was in the city of Buffalo. He then asked me for my NAME to which I replied that he had my address and added it should be easy to look it up with that information.
Then he wanted my BIRTHDAY to which again I replied that he had my address, please use that.
He got rather surly with me. I told him I didn't think he needed ANY of that information, with Homeland security and all. He argued that there were 3 ways to look up my polling place address: name, birthday, address to which I replied I had given him my address 3 times! I said I thought he was harassing me. I then asked if he wanted me NOT to vote?
He passed me along to a supervisor who promptly and politely gave me the information I was seeking.
I just talked with the 3 women monitoring the election booth here at Buffalo State College. I asked how many people had already voted. As of 1:30pm they hadn't seen a single voter.
If you are a student, living at BSC and you are registered to vote here, go over to Twin Rise and be the first.
I think we should help one another find our "missing voting locations" by posting discoveries here, on BRO.
Me? I'm wondering if anyone else was stunned to find the booths missing from SCHOOL 3 (D'Youville-Porter Campus) and has found out where they've been moved to? Please post if you find them, I will do same if I get info first.
I called and spoke with a very nice woman. She asked for my birthday and name, checked to see whether I was in a "consolidated" district or not, and was able to tell me that I should vote in my usual spot. The polls are open until 9, folks.
OK this is what I found out and partly "bad me", partly "what a bizarro system" I called the Board (the guy was a bit rough around the edges) but this is what I found out:
There are no polling booths at school 3 because those people don't vote today. (huh?) I realize we have some pretty meandering district lines in this area but, it's even MORE ridiculous than I thought! I had every reason to think this was a special State Senate election for PARTS of Erie and Niagara Counties (but not ALL, of either one) and it involved Buffalo, Grand Island, City of Tonawanda (but, NOT the town and not Kenmore) and City of Niagara Falls but not other parts of Niagara County. Got it? Guess what — it's only PART of the city of Buffalo and (it seems) only part of the west side too. NOW I reallllllly am convinced we have too many layers of government and they are WAY too tangled for anyone not making a full-time job of mapping them. This is divide and conquer at it's finest! Does this mean MY taxes won't have to be used toward the cost of the special election? How… really, HOW can a part of the city that could SPIT and hit City Hall NOT be considered part of Buffalo???? Apparently, South Buffalo isn't "really" part of Buffalo either. Does anyone have a color-coded map they could post, to show how governance-divided this city REALLY is? Mea culpa for not realizing that Stachowski IS the State Senator for this part of Buffalo and we don't get 2. I shouldn't have to be a Dr of Poli-Sci to keep this stuff straight! The winds of change, lessons learned. Scary.
I called and found out I should also vote ( I had no idea). They asked for Address and Name.
Does anyone have any links for information on the election. I may still not vote because I didn't know about it and may not be able to make an educated choice. I admit it's my fault I didn't pay attention more, but how many people vote in February? I bet they will get a 10% turnout.
why didn't the local new cover this more??
Candidate Information:
http://tinyurl.com/ppjcv
http://marccoppolaforsenate.com/
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060226/1018775.asp
http://buffalogeek.wnymedia.net/archives/49
http://blog.freeny.org/?p=212
http://blog.freeny.org/?p=214
It's a bit late now, but here is a map of the 60th District
http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/maps/propsen/fs060.pdf
My next-door neighbor & I were #39 and #40 to vote at Rees St, around 6pm . The poll workers were lonely all day !
wow, I just got back from voting, and I had no problems. Sorry for the people with mysterious disappearing polling places, But thank you very much for your dedication.