I hate to admit it but I feel totally ripped off by the new administration. My wife and I were quite active in the campaign--not as active as many, but more active than most. On top of my volunteering efforts, i donated more that 5% of my earnings to the campaign (even more if you look at post tax income).
And now, Obama's selling out to Wall Street has me totally disgusted. If I had know that he would appoint the people he did (Geithner and Summers in particular) and let them run amok with taxpayer money to further enrich their Wall Street buddies, I would have let the campaign rely on their contributions to get Obama elected.
Perhaps some needs to remind President Obama that it wasn't Goldman Sachs that went door to door in Pennsylvania to get out the vote.
If a bank is insolvent, it should go bankrupt. If it's too big to fail, it's just too big and needs to be broken up. If parts are insolvent, cut the dead weight. A lot more could be accomplished by giving the bailout money directly to the American people.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm still elated that Obama won. I think we would be in even worse condition had McCain won. I think Obama has done some very good things like overturning the global gag rule and acknowleding that climate change (and science in general) are real. But on this key item, I just feel totally ripped off.
(By the way, I never earned enough to get the cuts under Bush and earn too much to get the cuts proposed by Obama. I'm not complaining about the amount of tax I pay, rather what that tax is used for.)
I'm posting this rant here in the hopes that those of us who contirbuted to the campaign can affect some change rather than writing a letters to the editor.
The sudden firing of millions right before President Obama signed the new federal equal pay law were no coincidence. Companies were trying to shut off old liabilities before the new law made them actionable.
Background: Previously, the Supreme Court had ruled that an individual had to sue for pay discrimination within 180 days of when the discrimination commenced, rather than within 180 days of the date, years later, when they finally found out about it. As in, the courts completely gutted the law by allowing corporations to brazenly violate it in secret, knowing they could get away with murder. If the woman didn't sue within 180 days of the first time her employer secretly paid the paid her less than a male for the same job, they were free to continue secretly screwing the female employee out of equal pay for her entire career.
The new law signed by President Obama today corrects that travesty. Now, the 180 day period attaches to each new paycheck that is less than that of a man with the same job. So, a woman who is kept in the dark about this pay disparity for years before finally becoming aware of it now has a legal claim at the time she becomes aware of it still happening currently.
The Preemptive Firings: My cynical mind tells me that the 70,000 people suddenly fired from their jobs this week, as well as the millions dumped last week, were all fired in anticipation of this act becoming signed into law. Suddenly, dirt they had pulled on their female employees for years and years would become actionable. So, I think they dumped all the women presenting this potential pay liability, and wrapped the package with enough male firings to try and cover up the true reason for their precipitous decision.
Why This Works - Severance Pay Releases: Employers are permitted to structure severance pay plans as not a right, but an extra goodie for employees if and only if the employees sign a release of liability in return for receiving severance pay. Virtually all employees will sign them in return for the money. But these releases are solid gold for employers, because they whitewash employers for liability for anything whatsoever related to that past employment, whether known now or only discovered in the future. Ahem!
So now, having quickly ditched all that liability for unequal pay, employers will start hiring again free of any past liability for their dirty deeds. AND, they will hire at lower pay for all, knowing that people will be damn grateful just to get back into the workforce. Plus, if there is any tax benefit to making new hires contained in the final economic stimulus bill, the employers will actually be PAID to take these people back at lesser pay! If the employer doesn't want its own employees back, out of work employees can all take one step to the left and get each other's jobs.
So, it's my cynical view that employers did massive firings to avoid the liability imposed by this new law, and my optomistic view that they will now proceed to hire everybody right back.
After a brief period when the employers all celebrate and pat each other on the back for being so clever, of course.
Good morning. Before I begin today's announcement, I want to say a few words about the deepening economic crisis that we've inherited and the need for urgent action.
Over the last few days we've learned that Microsoft, Intel, United Airlines, Home Depot, Sprint Nextel, and Caterpillar are each cutting thousands of jobs. These are not just numbers on a page. As with the millions of jobs lost in 2008, these are working men and women whose families have been disrupted and whose dreams have been put on hold.
We owe it to each of them and to every, single American to act with a sense of urgency and common purpose. We can't afford distractions and we cannot afford delays. And that is why I look forward to signing an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will put millions of Americans to work and lay the foundation for stable growth that our economy needs and that our people demand. These are extraordinary times and it calls for swift and extraordinary action.
At a time of such great challenge for America, no single issue is as fundamental to our future as energy. America's dependence on oil is one of the most serious threats that our nation has faced. It bankrolls dictators, pays for nuclear proliferation, and funds both sides of our struggle against terrorism. It puts the American people at the mercy of shifting gas prices, stifles innovation and sets back our ability to compete.
These urgent dangers to our national and economic security are compounded by the long-term threat of climate change, which if left unchecked could result in violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking coastlines and irreversible catastrophe. These are the facts and they are well known to the American people -- after all, there is nothing new about these warnings. Presidents have been sounding the alarm about energy dependence for decades. President Nixon promised to make our energy -- our nation energy independent by the end of the 1970s. When he spoke, we imported about a third of our oil; we now import more than half.
Year after year, decade after decade, we've chosen delay over decisive action. Rigid ideology has overruled sound science. Special interests have overshadowed common sense. Rhetoric has not led to the hard work needed to achieve results. Our leaders raise their voices each time there's a spike in gas prices, only to grow quiet when the price falls at the pump.
Now America has arrived at a crossroads. Embedded in American soil and the wind and the sun, we have the resources to change. Our scientists, businesses and workers have the capacity to move us forward. It falls on us to choose whether to risk the peril that comes with our current course or to seize the promise of energy independence. For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change.
It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil, while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs. We hold no illusion about the task that lies ahead. I cannot promise a quick fix; no single technology or set of regulations will get the job done. But we will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is free from our energy dependence and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work.
Today, I'm announcing the first steps on our journey toward energy independence, as we develop new energy, set new fuel efficiency standards, and address greenhouse gas emissions. Each step begins to move us in a new direction, while giving us the tools that we need to change.
First, we must take bold action to create a new American energy economy that creates millions of jobs for our people. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan before Congress places a down payment on this economy. It will put 460,000 Americans to work, with clean energy investments and double the capacity to generate alternative energy over the next three years. It will lay down 3,000 miles of transmission lines to deliver this energy to every corner of our country. It will save taxpayers $2 billion a year by making 75 percent of federal buildings more efficient. And it will save working families hundreds of dollars on their energy bills by weatherizing 2 million homes.
This is the boost that our economy needs, and the new beginning that our future demands. By passing the bill, Congress can act where Washington has failed to act over and over again for 30 years. We need more than the same old empty promises. We need to show that this time it will be different. This is the time that Americans must come together on behalf of our common prosperity and security.
Second, we must ensure that the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow are built right here in the United States of America. Increasing fuel efficiency in our cars and trucks is one of the most important steps that we can take to break our cycle of dependence on foreign oil. It will also help spark the innovation needed to ensure that our auto industry keeps pace with competitors around the world.
We will start by implementing new standards for model year 2011 so that we use less oil and families have access to cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks. This rule will be a down payment on a broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Congress has passed legislation to increase standards to at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020. That 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency for our cars and trucks could save over 2 million barrels of oil every day -- nearly the entire amount of oil that we import from the Persian Gulf.
Going forward, my administration will work on a bipartisan basis in Washington and with industry partners across the country to forge a comprehensive approach that makes our economy stronger and our nation more secure.
Third, the federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. California has shown bold and bipartisan leadership through its effort to forge 21st century standards, and over a dozen states have followed its lead. But instead of serving as a partner, Washington stood in their way. This refusal to lead risks the creation of a confusing and patchwork set of standards that hurts the environment and the auto industry.
The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts, we will be guided by them. We cannot afford to pass the buck or push the burden onto the states. And that's why I'm directing the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately review the denial of the California waiver request and determine the best way forward. This will help us create incentives to develop new energy that will make us less dependent on oil that endangers our security, our economy, and our planet.
As we move forward, we will fully take into account the unique challenges facing the American auto industry and the taxpayer dollars that now support it. And let me be clear: Our goal is not to further burden an already struggling industry. It is to help America's automakers prepare for the future. This commitment must extend beyond the short-term assistance for businesses and workers. We must help them thrive by building the cars of tomorrow, and galvanizing a dynamic and viable industry for decades to come.
Finally, we will make it clear to the world that America is ready to lead. To protect our climate and our collective security, we must call together a truly global coalition. I've made it clear that we will act, but so too must the world. That's how we will deny leverage to dictators and dollars to terrorists. And that's how we will ensure that nations like China and India are doing their part, just as we are now willing to do ours.
It's time for America to lead, because this moment of peril must be turned into one of progress. If we take action, we can create new industries and revive old ones; we can open new factories and power new farms; we can lower costs and revive our economy. We can do that, and we must do that. There's much work to be done. There is much further for us to go.
But I want to be clear from the beginning of this administration that we have made our choice. America will not be held hostage to dwindling resources, hostile regimes, and a warming planet. We will not be put off from action because action is hard. Now is the time to make the tough choices. Now is the time to meet the challenge at this crossroad of history by choosing a future that is safer for our country, prosperous for our planet, and sustainable.
Those are my priorities, and they're reflected in the executive orders that I'm about to sign. Thank you so much for being here.
I have so little to say this week of the inauguration, this week that I have been waiting a lifetime for, this week that my deceased father will miss out on seeing, this week that friends and family throughout the world have been working towards, praying for, waiting for, afraid to voice fears that it might never come.
But, I have nothing to say. I mean I do. It's in my head. It's in my heart. But, I can't stop smiling. I can't stop feeling joy in my heart for what will happen on Tuesday.
And it's so hard to talk when your heart is stuffed with joy and your mouth is in a perpetual smile.
I have access to a home in Gaithersburg, MD 20879 available during mid-January to February. Perfect for Inauguration! Red line subway is Shady Grove - 25 miles to heart of DC. You can get to the metro station without a car (bus across the street), and be in DC via metro in ~35-40mins.
Its a 3 bdrm, full basement, and 3.5 bath townhome. Make me an offer!
O.K. I think I understand the Joe Leiberman pardon. I think I can even see past some of the old Bill Clinton alliances deciding transition. What is still unnerving is the pending discussions about Sen. Hillary Clinton clinching a cabinet position. Here is the "ready" candidate, the one who said she and Republican Sen. John McCain were the only qualified, "ready" and "experienced" candidates. How about that reference to the assassination of Sen. Robert Kennedy? This is the ambitious, former, first lady who said the Illinois candidate was nothing more than speeches. This is the wife of the former president who allegedly said on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday that the campaign bid of the president-elect was a "fairytale." Lest anyone forget, Bill had an opportunity to pardon Marcus Garvey before leaving the White House and instead excused his pal Mark Rich of all wrongdoings.
No one can forget the look of rage whenever Hillary felt she was heavily challenged by Sen. Obama. "How dare he think he can win" seemed an appropriate caption. Her eyes bulged with anger each time she lost a state and delegate. How she palled around with Gov. Sarah Palin refusing to cross the clueless Alaskan. When asked to comment she refused. Where was her support for the Democrat? I know the President-elect is going to do as he sees fit but I cannnot help comment on my disapproval of any of the Clintons making Change. They have had their time to bring change. Perhaps, the New York senator should work to bring Change to Harlem where gentrification has displaced many families. Maybe the junior senator can convince the mayor that over-ruling term limits is undemocratic. Perhaps, Sen. Clinton can lobby to get a bailout for the ailing transit system. What about cuts in SUNY and CUNY budgets? Education needs an injection of finances. The health situation here is also unhealthy with many lacking insurance. Sen. Clinton should be told that there is much to do in her home state before she continues vogueing for Condy's job. She is not ready. She was never ready. And as far as I am concerned unpardonable.
Although I have great hope for President Barack Obama, still convinced he is the candidate for Change and more optimistic than ever about the future of the United States, I am wary about any selection of a Clinton to the cabinet. Fact is that both Sen. Hillary Clinton and her husband used every venomous ammunition to take down their rival. They threw poison darts loaded with racially infected toxins in order to exert their entitlement. Together they seized every opportunity to malign his character. They branded him "inexperienced", "not ready" and ridiculed his message of "Yes We Can." The dirty tricks used in New York will not soon be forgotten. How Sen. Obama lost the primary on Feb. 5th was not due to anything other than foul-play. Sen. Obama was gracious in not pursuing investigations however, the fact he did not register a single vote in many Black election districts in Brooklyn and Harlem should resonate as fraud favorable to the NY senator.
But recall how even after she was fairly trounced, the New York senator held her delegates hostage, threatened the DNC for a fight over Michigan and Florida and disgraced herself by being a sore loser. I was at her New York rally when she refused to concede despite overwhelming figures against her. After she finally conceded, she remained elusive, exiling herself with her husband. When Gov. Sarah Palin moosed up her credibility, Hillary failed to comment. All of a sudden she became the dignified opponent. Coupled with that Hillary regularly went overboard in courting the heroic Sen. John McCain. Sen. McCain's heroism was never ever in dispute. Everyone regard him as such. Why Hillary felt more compelled to endorse McCain over teaming with the party choice is still an obvious action I cannot comfortably reconcile. As for Bill, it was not until the 11th hour, long after early voting began in Florida that he surfaced in mainstream to publicly campaign with Sen. Obama. If the transition team chooses Hillary to decide foreign policy as secretary of state, some of us will be deeply discouraged. Undeniably, both Clintons will assume the position and run awry probably going against the promises of the newly elected president. Hillary should remain in the NY senate. Personally I would like her to remain there until the next elections so that I can vote her into retirement. The "experiened" Clintons should quietly take a backseat by allowing Change.
The conversation has moved on, and it doesn't include Sarah Palin. Despite many talking heads giving her the widest possible berth on her recent behavior, just in case she again emerges on the national scene to create delicious fodder for their shows, they're peddling fraud.
Palin has to learn a hard political truth. If you blow an inverview or a campaign, there are no re-dos. You can't claim that an interviewer was mean and try to correct it weeks later. You can't claim you weren't found in violation of the law in the face of a government report that says you were. You can't take shots at President-elect Obama as if you could still win and he can still be brought down, when the campaign is actually done. You have to have the correct political instincts, actions and answers the FIRST TIME. Right then and there. Like national officials are required to have.
There are no re-dos weeks later when you are deciding to bomb a country.
There are no re-dos weeks later when facing a hostage situation or a national emergency.
There are no re-dos later when you decide and people act irrevocably on your decision.
Lives and livelihoods hang on your capacity to know, understand, analyze, evaluate and decide, IMMEDIATELY.
Good government depends on your ability to govern well, not whine about how everybody else is at fault for all your missteps.
This current campaign of Palin's to raise public opinion of her is so childish and immature that it's cringeworthy. The woman has no shame, in addition to having no judgment.
In the short time she was in the public eye, we learned heaps of horrifying stuff about her personal life - that she kicked her daughter out of the house when she first found out about the teenage pregnancy. And that Palin used private email for public business. And slept with her husband's business partner. And used the power of her office illegally. That she "cancelled" the Bridge to Nowhere but KEPT all that juicy, porky Federal money. And submitted thousands of dollars in questionable per diem expenses to Alaska. And shamelessly and selfishly blew a stunning amount of the GOP's money on clothes for herself and her family.
Who knows what other skeletons she is now burying . . . or ontinuing to create.
As far as politics goes, we learned that she can't think on her feet if her entire career and future depended on it. And doesn't know a thing about foreign affairs. And somehow missed some core concepts in elementary school geography. Oh, yes, and that she's a race-baiter, slanderer, and liar.
Palin thinks she can come back from all THIS? She sees Hillary is too old to make another run for the presidency and is determined to jump into the vacuum?
Whom, exactly, did she think she has managed to impress? Whom, exactly does she think would support her after all her shameless and nasty flailing around on the public stage?
Noooooooooooo, honey, you only get one try.
And BOY did you ever blow it.
Where do I begin? I have seen a three month old Black baby sleeping in his stroller...his shirt spoke for him with the words "Future president." At 11 p.m. Nov. 4th in Harlem, a woman revealed a brand, new black shirt lettered in white with the words "my president is Black." The lettering bordered a flag of the United States minus the red and blue. Those T-shirt branding pictures of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin with the words "Mavericks My A**" are everywhere. I have received text messages saying: They promised us 40 acres and a mule, we took the White House and 50 states." I have seen newstands minus newspapers. Imagine the New York Times is now selling for $1,000 -- the Nov. 5th Obama edition. There were no free AM or Metro papers to be found yesterday. The Daily News and NY Post went like hotcakes. The New York Times will now republish another 75,000 copies of its post-election day edition. Whoa!
I was exhausted yesterday after celebrations at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building. The atmosphere was pure euphoria. Jubilation prevailed with drumming, dancing, singing, cheering. Funnyman D.L. Hughley showed up to celebrate. So did rapper Doug E. Fresh, GQ and a long list of entertainers. Of course the politicians capitalized on the opportunity. First up was Cong. Charles B. Rangel. Although he did not initially support Sen. Barack Obama he postured tall sponsoring the jumbotron, food and watch night event. Media showed up in droves. With Times Square and Rockefeller Center jammed to capacity, Harlem was second only to Grant Park, Chicago where the president-elect accepted his new place on the global stage.
Even after the president-elect delivered his acceptance speech, everyone remained in Harlem. Obama supporters at the Sheraton Hotel took the A Train uptown arriving as late as 3 a.m. to continue the celebration. It was an awesome night. New York delivered a whopping 20 percent majority for Sen. Obama and we are devoted to helping him be the best president ever. But now I am trying to find the best dress ever for inauguration day, Jan. 20th, 2009. See Ya!
I'm sitting at a computer here in Philly at the Philadelphia Field Headquarters for Obama on Sansom Street, and the excitement of the moment is simply breathtaking. I can barely contain my emotions as the hundreds of volunteers chant "Yes We Can!" and "Obama! Obama! Obama!" I am overwhelmed. I just couldn't get myself to drink the champagne before the magic number 270, and now that Barack Obama has attained that seemingly insurmountable goal, I am overwhelmed, and finding it difficult to keep from smiling and crying at the same time.
I wish my dad were alive to witness this moment. He is not, but I am, and I am savoring every moment of this historic moment in honor of my father.
Enjoy this moment America. Because Yes, We Can!
This is it!
We're coming down to the final stretch and Barack Obama needs your help now, more than ever before!
Please bring your cell phone, a charger and a few fun friends who care about change and join with thousands of your neighbors in the largest ever-attempted phone bank effort in New York state history. The Obama campaign is hosting several of these "mega call centers" all over New York, so invite your friends and family to make calls to voters in key battleground states and change America for years to come.
Visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nylastcall to find a location near you.
Let me start off by saying — this is about us.
This campaign is not about Senator Barack Obama. This campaign is not about Senator John McCain. This campaign is not even about Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Joe Biden, or even Governor Sarah Palin.
No, this campaign is, has always been, and always will be about US.
This campaign is about us because whoever is chosen to be the next President of the United States of America is direct reflection upon us as American citizens, as a nation.
I say all of this to remind people that we are all a part of this choice, whether or not we vote in November 2008.
I want people to remember that it is sooo important to talk but it is much more important to take action. Action bodes movement in the direction that may actually end up in change that leaves an impact upon other people’s lives.
In light of the first debate between the two presidential nominees, I want to stress how important it is to take action right now, each and every single one of us.
I am an avid supporter of Senator Barack Obama, so the list of action points that I have listed below are to support Senator Barack Obama.
If you support Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, or just are against a McCain-Palin administration and you are looking for some way to feel a part of making something happen, please read below. Thanks!
Be sure that you are registered to vote: http://www.voteforchange.com/index_obama.php
10 ways to get involved: http://obama.3cdn.net/56d7862be8e614eef6_b6m6bndg2.pdf
Spread the word about these ways to get involved or any others you come up with - we did it and we can do it again!!! We really can!
"Just keep swimming...just keep swimming!" - Dory
http://oshunlife7.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/yes-we-didand-yes-we-can-again/
To all my friends who have been idly sitting by, watching Barack Obama's poll numbers rise, it is time to ask yourself, "What have I been doing for the Campaign for Change lately? Ask yourself, "Am I getting complacent?"
I have not posted on this blog in roughly a month because I have been knocking on doors in Pennsylvania, canvassing voters. I've also been busy entering voter registration and phone call canvassing data to prepare for getting out the vote.
We are now in the GOTV phase, and it's tme to get serious! Please don't be one of the supporters of Senator Obama who wakes up disheartened, dissilusioned and disappointed on Wednesday, November 5th, saying "If only I had done more..." If you can't give the time, give the money. If you can't give the money, give the time to this campaign. The time is NOW.
We need everybody to "Get up offa that thing" and get to work. Even if you can only donate an hour of your time to enter data, to make calls to a battleground state, to canvass in a battleground state, to knock on doors to persuade voters. We are 13 days away from the most important election of our lifetimes. Do something.
Thanks to the group I belong to I was given the website to check my registration.My husband is there but not me! It's been 2 months. I am calling the Bronx Voting office tommorow, This is upsetting, see article below and check your status!! Up to their old tricks again?
Have you been purged from New York State’s database?
As I wrote about in my last blog, HAVA required substantial changes to the way voter registration lists are managed, requiring that all states maintain a single statewide database, and that voter registration records be purged of incorrect records. But depending on how database name matching is done, this can result in many legally registered voters being removed from the rolls or set to “Inactive” status, which means on Election Day their names will not be in the poll book, and they will not be able to vote.
But a question has remained, how many voter records have been purged from New York State’s voter rolls? Now we have an answer. I submitted a Freedom of Information Law request for all records in New York’s NYSVOTER voter registration database. Early in October, I received a copy of NYSVOTER records from September 23, 2008. I wrote a program to analyze the 12,010,045 voter records and can now report the number of voters who have had their status set to “Purged” or “Inactive” in the Empire state, and the reasons given for the change.
The data reveals that New York State has moved 1,661,244, or almost 14% of the voter records, from “Active” status to “Purged” or “Inactive”, meaning they will not be in the poll books on Election Day. Whether or not these changes are valid is anybody’s guess, and there’s no way to know for sure how many of these have been incorrectly removed from “Active” status. But I’ll wager that a significant number of these records are actually legally registered voters who should be allowed to vote on Election Day, but won’t be.
I’ve provided two spreadsheets which break out the analysis by individual New York State counties, totals for New York City(which includes the counties of New York (Manhattan), Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, and Richmond (Staten Island), and the state as a whole. The first sheet (Xl format here; PDF format here) shows the total number of records, the number of “Active” status voters, and the number set to “Purged” and “Inactive”, and the percentages these represent of the total. The second spreadsheet (Xl format here; PDF format here) breaks out the reasons given for each record set to “Purged” and “Inactive”.
This second spreadsheet reveals some interesting patterns. For instance we can see that the New York City Board of Elections has set over a half a million voter records to “Inactive” status because they did not respond to a letter from the Board saying they intended to cancel their registration (NYSVOTER lists this reason as “MAIL CHECK”). I guarantee that some percentage, likely very large, of these New York City voters are legally registered who never saw the Board’s letter. They’re going to show up on Election Day and be turned away from the polls.
We also find the top counties which have been removing voters from the rolls – Sullivan County (30%), Allegany County(24%), Tompkins County (23%), Westchester County (21%), Rensselaer (19%) and Erie (19%). We find that Erie, Cortland, Seneca, Sullivan and Lewis counties have all “Purged” over 7% of voter records. And Sullivan, Allegany, Tompkins, Westchester, Manhattan, Rensselaer and the Bronx have each set over 13% of their voter records to “Inactive” status.
My analysis program can only work the data that’s in the records, so I can’t determine how many of these voter records have been legitimately changed, and how many are legally registered voters whose status should be “Active” but is no longer. There’s only one way to know for sure – call your County Board of Elections and ask if you are registered to vote, if your status is “Active”, and if your name will appear in the poll books on Election Day. If it is not, there is still time, although not much, to correct the error.
By the way, if you find that you are not in the poll books on Election Day, you have the right to demand and receive a “provisional” ballot (called an ‘affidavit’ ballot in NYS), which you can vote on. Provisional ballots do not guarantee that your vote will be counted however, as the county must first conduct an investigation to see if you were indeed legally registered. Only then will the provisional ballot be counted. While this is better than not being able to vote at all, it’s a stop gap measure, and I urge you to call your county Board and check that you are registered and can vote on Election Day.
