AN AMERICAN DISASTER

Manhattan, 1 pm, just a few blocks away from Times Square in one of the country's most densely populated Democratic neighborhoods.  Richard goes to vote.

First I'm told that I'm not registered even though I've lived at the same address and voted in the same place for 17 years.

I'm asked for photo ID which I provide and am then told that I can use a paper ballot along with an affidavit that says that I am who I say I am.

Where do I vote?  Since I'm ineligible to enter the curtained and private voting booth, I'm directed to hide behind a large hand cut cardboard box from a local storage facility.  There is one box and dozens of voters who, we are told, were "unfortunately dropped from the computer."

Impatient, most of us squat on the floor or cozy up to each other at school cafeteria lunch tables and start scribbling on paper ballots and filling out affidavits.

Dozens of voters are learning that their entire buildings have not been included in the system; they are told their homes don't exist.  Confronted with a stack of photo IDs the barely literate poll workers start passing out more paper ballots and "affidavits" to voters who live in luxury apartment buildings that the New York City Board of Elections computer records claim don't exist. 

Fuming, I insist on observing the process of recording my vote and learn that dozens of people who live in my building have been through the same nightmare.

I wonder how many ballots will be subject to a manual count. I'm number 1,000 something on the one list I can see for the 76th Election District.  I look around the room and it appears from the looks on voters' faces that the "system" has dropped more names than not.

This happens in Ohio and Florida, not in midtown Manhattan.

I call the Board of Elections to file a complaint and after four transfers, they disconnect me.  I call again and the phone rings endlessly.

I call the metro desk at The New York Times and am told that I'm not the first person to call in the "situation" at PS 51, the poll site.  I'm also told that calls are coming in from many other sites in other heavily Democratic districts.

According to the Associated Press similar fiascoes are occurring around the nation.

What in God's name has happened to us?

Shame on our Republican Mayor, our Republican Governor, our Republican Congress and our Republican President.  This pervasive disregard for and abuse of the vote is the most abominable of all the abominations that have come from this government.

Comments

[Alex]

Problem: Amercans don't know if they can vote and how many people really populate their country.
Solution:
"Einwohnermeldeamt" - Residents registration office
Every person is registered at birth and gets an ID at the age 16. Name, Pic and signature
You might say Orwell.. blabla
BUT:
Consider, I have voted 4 or 5 times in my short life.
3 Weeks in advance of an election everybody gets a voting card so you know, if there is a problem.(the card is for absentee vote)
At the polling station I show up me ID my name is checked. Igo to the ballot and vote.
Sometimes I had to wait 1-2 Minutes in a line.
Don't take it personaly, but I'm feeling a bit of Schadenfreude.

[TJ]

OMG! I don't even know what to say. I feel so sad and angry when I see the things that are happening in the states these days. The US as it stands now is not the place that I grew up in and I feel both Anger/Shame for the people responsible and afraid for those of you who have to deal with this irresponsible and blatant Orwellian world you are being put into... I know I will never be back to the states unless there are najor changes and that will take years. I'm not saying that things are all that great were I am now but it's a lot better then where you stand... I guess there is always hope!

[thefrank]

Isn't NYC an overwhelmingly Democratic city? So while Mayor Bloomburg comes in for some of the blame, I think there's plenty to go around for the local Democrat party machinery.

Also, the problem with registration, voting rolls and apparatus has been around since Bush's election in 2000. Democrats as well as Republicans have had more than enough time and incentive to solve this problem since then.

Many sins can be laid at the foot of this Administration, but your voting problem in NYC isn't one of them.

[dash]

Very scary. I had a good experience in Chicago, but most of the candidates on the ballot were democrat with no opponent. :)

I was thinking about the possiblity of online voting...emailed receipts of vote...online visual record by voter number of the votes one makes so we can make sure our vote was recorded accurately...a spreadsheet style tally so that everyone can download it and add the numbers themselves to make sure it jives with the official tally.

[justfamily]

WHAT IN "WHO'S" NAME HAPPENED TO US?