Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has teamed up with ANIMALNewYork.com in an attempt to educate voters about their rights when casting their votes. Shortly before the primary de Blasio raised issues about poll sites incorrectly reported to voters, causing much confusion and many to lose the opportunity to vote. Photo Courtesy of Office of Public Advocate.
In an effort to combat confusion about poll locations and voting procedures during last week’s primary election, officials will distribute thousands of posters across the city that clearly list ten rights guaranteed to voters by local, state and federal laws.
Some of these include the right to assistance for a person who is disabled or cannot read, the right to take up to two hours off from work to vote if needed and the right to request an absentee ballot.
In order to get the low down on voting out to the street, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has teamed up with ANIMALNewYork.com, an online news source that describes itself as a new breed of media—one that believes in action, brutal clarity, innovative design, and an optimistic point of view to help make voters aware of their rights. The effort represents a non-partisan, collaborative initiative aimed at making the election process as clear and as simple as possible for all New York voters.
“We’re fighting a rising tide of voter apathy—and it’s only worsened by the confusion we’ve seen at the polls,” de Blasio said in a press release. “No one should miss the cutoff date to register to vote or to request an absentee ballot. No one should turn around on Election Day because their name was misspelled on a voting list. Knowing your rights protects your vote.”
Art Chang, Chairman of the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee, hailed these efforts, noting that New Yorkers deserve a chance to voice their opinions at the pols.
“We all have a shared responsibility to ensure that more New Yorkers are informed voters,” he said. “The ‘Voters’ Bill of Rights’ can and will help New Yorkers make their voices heard in November.”
The 10 rights are:
1. You are entitled to up to two paid hours off of work to vote if polls are not open for four consecutive hours before or after your work day, provided you notify employers.
2. You should receive a mailed reminder informing you when and where to vote.
3. You have until October 12 to register to vote in this year’s general election.
4. If you have recently moved within NYC, you can vote at your new poll site with an Affidavit Ballot, even if you have not updated your registration.
5. If your name is misspelled on the voter rolls or you recently changed your name, you are still allowed to vote using the standard ballot and machine.
6. If your name is not on the voter rolls, you can still vote using an Affidavit Ballot.
7. Only some first-time voters are required to present I.D. at poll sites if they didn’t submit the needed information when they registered.
8. You can request an absentee ballot be mailed to you if you are unable to vote in person.
9. Voters with disabilities are entitled to assistance from poll site staff, as are non-English speakers.
10. You cannot be prevented from voting if you accidentally wear campaign paraphernalia at a polling site, but you should remove or cover it as instructed by poll workers.
