An Open Letter to the New York City Board of Elections

Mr. Gregory C. Soumas
Board of Elections in the City of New York
Executive Office
32 Broadway
New York, NY 10004-1609

November 17, 2008

Dear Mr. Soumas:

I would like to publicly apologize for being such a dim-witted dilettante on Election Day. I was under the naïve assumption that I could vote where I voted in the last two elections. Your thoughtful letter pointed out that if I had voted in the recent primary election in September I would have discovered that I was no longer registered in the polling place I have voted in since 2004. Considering your position at the Board of Elections and your deep respect for the democratic process I must assume that my local 14th St. poll worker, Betty J. Williamson's assertion that my name was on the active voter rolls for the primary in September of this year was erroneous and that she must be as confused and wrongheaded as I am. If Ms. Williamson saw my name in the book in September that would mean that you are lying. Certainly you wouldn't lie about a thing like that. That is unbecoming of a man of your bureaucratic stature. And why would anyone in the Board of Elections be eliminating legitimate voters from the rolls in late September and October of 2008? That's just crazy and un-democratic.

I should also apologize for the misguided actions of Justice Paul G. Feinman in issuing a court order on Election Day allowing me to vote on 14th St. He apparently thought that a printed out record from your own Board of Elections computer verifying my polling place as 14th St was justification for issuing the court order. If he had only thought to contact you, you could have helped him understand the logic and wisdom of eliminating my name from the book on 14th St. where I have always voted and leaving my name registered at a place I have never voted.

I must also thank you for sending your letter not to me but to all the major newspapers in the New York area and across the internet. I understand it was your way of clearing up this matter and for that I am grateful. I am particularly appreciative of your sending a copy of my voter registration card with my home address and driver's license number to all the newspapers and, by extension, to millions across the internet. What celebrity dilettante wouldn't want his private information made public? What kind of snob gets angry that his family's safety might be compromised? It comes with the territory, right? I was thinking of returning that favor by publishing your home address in this letter but then I thought that maybe one of the thousands of New Yorkers that were taken off the voter rolls in the last two months might not understand what a patriotic upstanding man you are and might show up at your doorstep with the misguided assumption that you are a petty vindictive corrupt scumbag.

Tim Robbins
New Yorker since 1961
Voter since 1976

P.S. If anyone reading this letter had a similar experience on Election Day it can and should be reported at 866ourvote.org.

cc:
Commissioners of Elections
Marcus Cederqvist, Executive Director
George Gonzalez, Deputy Executive Director
Pamela Perkins, Administrative Manager
Beth Fossella, Coordinator, Voter Registration
Steven H. Richman, General Counsel
Troy Johnson, Chief Clerk
Timothy Gay, Deputy Chief Clerk

Comments

[Canuck27]

Atta boy T.R. eat'em raw!!!

[oldmilitant]

SUE HIM, Mr. Robbins! If he'd do it to you, what would he do to someone like me? Please take him to court! He needs to at the very least, lose his job, if not go to prison!

[brokenarrow]

You go, Tim. I smelled a rat big time when i read about this...........don't quit until it's taken care of.

If you need any help, we'll all back you up, buddy. Mr. Soumas, you can Ram it, CRAM it, then JAM it.

[davism97]

"I am particularly appreciative of your sending a copy of my voter registration card with my home address and driver's license number to all the newspapers and, by extension, to millions across the internet.

Anyone would be outraged if this happened to them. It's disturbing to see that a government official is so careless with a voters private information (it shows a fundamental lack of respect for the voter).

[pjlowry]

What's disturbing about the government being so careless with a voter's private information is in today's world there is such a thing as identity theft. I hope Mr. Soumas enjoys being sued if someone uses the information he released to defraud Mr. Robbins.

[HeevenSteven]

Good job Tim. Don't forget to send this to all the same newspapers.

[acwright]

Right on Mr. Robbins!

[sweetbiscuit]

Good for you, Tim! Stand up. It's interesting that you predicted problems of this nature when you were on Real Time with Bill Maher a few weeks back. I hope Soumas is removed from his position. He seems ridiculous and vindictive.

[DVSDVS]

Right on, Mr. Robbins! Thank you for going to the mat on this one.

[philistine]

All I can say is "DAMN!"

And "AMEN!"

[romwriter]

Bravo, Tim!

[caterpol]

Please keep us posted regarding this issue. I'm sorry that you had to go through this, but publicizing your ordeal can only help correct the process.

[rjmiller]

I love you.


P.S. Not just for Tapeheads.

[brokenarrow]

BABY DOLL..................WE LOVE TAPEHEADS, TOO!!! Bob Roberts is one of our favs, as well.

[misterz]

Great letter, Tim.
When my husband went to vote in the September primary here in Wisconsin at the polling place where he and I have voted for 32 years, his name had mysteriously disappeared from the voting roll. He had a heck of a time getting it back on and had to re-register TWICE before they corrected it. He carried the two postcards they sent him, plus a ton of ID and proof of residence with him to vote on Nov 4 just in case they tried to do anything again. It is alarming how often this happens.

[Thomas777]

Very funny Tim! Loved it.