Reports of Widespread Voter Suppression in New York State Democratic Primary
COLIN KALMBACHER SEP 13, 2018 3:39 PM
On the day New York State Democrats select their party’s standard-bearers for the upcoming midterm elections, voters are reporting numerous forms of procedural roadblocks, incorrect voting information and disenfranchisement that many suggest rise to the level of voter suppression.
In a series of tweets beginning mid-morning on Thursday,
New York Magazine author
Rebecca Traister detailed her own purge from Democratic Party voter rolls–
despite the fact that she’s voted from the same address for the past four years. Traister noted that she wasn’t the only one experiencing such issues
Rebecca Traister@rtraister
·
18h
Replying to @rtraister
So folks, if Cynthia, Jumaane, Zephyr or Zellnor loses by a single vote tonight, just wait for the affidavit ballots to come in! (Seriously though what the actual fuck)
Rebecca Traister@rtraister
Also worth noting: this was 8:30, and the poll watcher who helped me said I was the second person she’d spoken to who had this problem—another woman who said she was an active, regular voter and not in the books.
Traister’s thread continued–and taking stock of the same thing happening to a friend of hers. She wrote, “Also! My next door neighbor, registered for years as a Dem, an RHA activist, extremely politically engaged, especially in local and state elections this season, is also not on the rolls at our polling place. She’s on her way to get a court order as we speak.”
Soon, other New York State voters began chiming in with similar stories.
Lydia Polgreen, editor-in-chief of HuffPost and a former director at the
New York Times, said she had her information scrubbed from the Democratic Party’s voter rolls as well.
Lydia Polgreen
✔@lpolgreen
Happened to me too.
Rebecca Traister@rtraister
Guess who wasn’t on the rolls this morning at the polling place I’ve voted for four years?
6:22 AM - Sep 13, 2018
Jess McIntosh, a New York resident who hosts the popular
Signal Boost show on Sirius XM also went to vote on Thursday morning. And when she did, McIntosh discovered that her name was not on the Democratic Party’s voter rolls either.
McIntosh described her situation by way of advice to others facing the same issue.
She wrote, “Had to assert my rights for the 1st time at a polling place today! Reminder: if you’re in the right place and not on the rolls, sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot.”
As the day wore on, similar stories cropped up all across Twitter and Facebook.
Kristen Richardson discussed her own experience and that of multiple friends, noting that she’d never once been forced to accept an affidavit–or provisional–ballot before today:
Rebecca Traister@rtraister
·
18h
Guess who wasn’t on the rolls this morning at the polling place I’ve voted for four years?
Kristen Richardson@butwhyevernot
Three of us just in my line weren't on the voter rolls at my polling place (in Clinton Hill). This is the first affidavit ballot I've had to cast there. WTAF indeed.
6:30 AM - Sep 13, 2018
Podcast host
John Gawarecki-Maxwellalso noted the extent of stories coming from New York State voters but didn’t appear to have experienced the issue himself:
John Gawarecki-Maxwell@iamjohngm
All I’m hearing today is stories of people mysteriously purged from the voter rolls all over New York again, just like in the 2016 primary. Oh, but I’m sure it’s all just a coincidence that these purges overwhelmingly help the incumbent.
10:33 AM - Sep 13, 2018
Another podcast host and author,
Virgil Texas, made light of his own apparent disenfranchisement.
He wrote:
Virgil Texas
✔@virgiltexas
To the 6 people left who have not been purged from the New York voter rolls: it’s Election Day. Kindly do what I couldn’t do and vote. When you get to all those judicial races just write in someone funny. Write in the Noid. Nick Mullen. It’s legal. There’s no laws on Election Day
11:00 AM - Sep 13, 2018
Even Democratic National Committee member
Nomiki Konst experienced an apparent purging of her information from New York’s voter rolls.
Nomi: TODAY Vote Cynthia, Jumaane, Zephyr
✔@NomikiKonst
Went into vote skipping. But just found out my name was not listed on the roll at my polling place. Despite having the recently sent documentation from board of elections with me. Had to fill out provisional.
#Astoria #Queens #NYPrimaries
10:30 AM - Sep 13, 2018 ·
PS 17 School Gym
At least some voters found they were still on the voter rolls but came to learn that they had somehow been moved over to the conservative New York State Reform Party (which also holding their primary on Thursday).
https://www.google.com/amp/s/lawand...ion-in-new-york-state-democratic-primary/amp/
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