Letter to the Bloomberg Administration Regarding Primary Day Voting Problems

BY FAX AND FIRST CLASS MAIL

Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Deputy Mayor Goldsmith
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Honorable Raymond Kelly
Commissioner
New York Police Department
1 Police Plaza
New York, NY 10007

Honorable Joel Klein
Chancellor
City of New York Department of Education
52 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007

Dear Sirs:

I write to share my concern regarding widespread reports of problems during the Primary Election on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 and, pursuant to Section 24(j) of the New York City Charter, to request information from you about coordination between the City’s administrative agencies, including specifically the New York Police Department (“NYPD”) and the Department of Education (“Department”), to ensure that the Board of Elections in the City of New York (“Board”) and its staff are able to open poll sites on time on election days.

Based on reports from campaigns, calls to my constituent services hotline and published media accounts within the last week, a snapshot of which are compiled in the attached addendum, many polling locations experienced delayed openings, malfunctions of electronic ballot scanners, poll workers mishandling ballots and violations of voter privacy. My Office, along with other civic and advocacy organization, is continuing to solicit feedback from voters about their Primary Day experience, so I expect that many more such instances will come to light in the weeks ahead that we can learn from in advance of the General Election.

Accounts of problems voting on Primary Day have been far more widespread and specific than those that have accompanied recent elections. We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes on Election Day. I write to you as a follow-up to my recent letter to the Board to seek further information regarding existing interagency coordination protocols for elections.

I specifically request the following information:

• Please describe any support that the Administration offers to the Board to utilize existing City infrastructure, i.e. taxi TV, televisions in City agencies’ waiting rooms, to advertise and educate voters about the Primary and General Elections;
• A description of how the Department interacts with the Board to designate schools as poll sites, including how the Department communicates with the Board about such decisions, what information the Department conveys to principals at affected schools about what to expect on Election Day, what information principals are instructed to convey to other school staff, parents and students about their school being designated a poll site, and what information the Department provides to custodial staff to ensure they are able to assist the Board and the NYPD as necessary to open poll sites promptly;
• When the Board provides pertinent information to the NYPD and the Department necessary to prepare for Election Day operations?
• A description of the NYPD’s procedures for coordinating with the Board and the Department to ensure timely access to poll sites, including delivery of keys to voting equipment by 5 a.m. on Election Day to allow poll workers to begin poll site setup and prompt opening; and
• An account of how the NYPD, the Board and poll workers coordinate to prevent electioneering within polling site boundaries.

Finally, please provide a copy of any written policies or procedures that agencies have that address issues raised in this letter.

Thank you in advance for your prompt response to these inquiries by October 8, 2010. Please feel free to contact me or my Policy Director, DeNora Getachew, to discuss any questions or concerns in greater detail.

Sincerely,


Bill de Blasio
Public Advocate for the City of New York

Cc: George Gonzalez, Board of Elections in the City of New York