Should ‘Voters Beware’ or is ‘Forewarned Forearmed’?

There are many hands touching ballots after a voter drops his ballot into the ballot box.  There is no guarantee of ballot secrecy for anyone, which makes the whole system vulnerable to intimidation and bribery. Bob Shaffer, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

How true!  I have recently come into possession of two communications which I believe should be brought to the public’s attention.  One refers to “distasteful voter intimidation tactics” and suggests that voters who are "forewarned are forearmed" while the other suggests that voters be careful that they are not unintentionally “committing a felony”.

The first letter on page 1 of this document is dated August 10, 2013 and was delivered to numerous people in Clarkstown. It shows it to be from Rockland County Legislator Frank Sparaco giving his name and phone number as the contact person. The communication appears to be encouraging people to vote by Absentee Ballot in the coming September 10, 2013 primary election stating that people can vote “from the comfort of their own home without having to go to their local polling place”.  The gentleman who received the letter and provided it to me feels it gives an incomplete and misleading statement of the New York State Election Law.

The second letter on page 2 of this document, which was not authored by Sparaco or any of his associates, was subsequently delivered to those whose names were associated with requests for absentee ballots. It lists the only six reasons under which a voter may request an absentee ballot.  The recipients are cautioned in this letter that if they do not fit any of the six categories defined by New York State law they would be committing a felony by using an absentee ballot.  The second letter asks that if anyone has encouraged a voter to lie or file a false document then they should contact the Rockland Board of Elections at 845-638-5172 or the Rockland County D.A. at 845-638-5001.

A freedom of information request about these communications reveals that for the minority parties the following absentee ballots have been requested as of this week for the September primary election for Highways Superintendent of Clarkstown:

Conservative - 410; Independence - 220; Working Families -125.  

What is surprising about these numbers is that there are approximately 3,700 registered voters in the Conservative Party of whom 11% requested absentee ballots – a figure that is outside the norms of such requests.  In a primary election turnout is statistically in the 10 – 12% range of the eligible voters.  

The fact that the number of voters claiming to want to vote by absentee ballot meets or exceeds the numbers of those that statistics show actually come to their polling location on election day raises questions as to why the numbers are skewed in this way.  

Additionally, these absentee ballot requests do not seem to be originating from single individuals applying independently of one another but are being requested by a few people on their behalf - the letter from Legislator Sparaco suggests that these efforts are being orchestrated by him.

Why one wonders is Legislator Sparaco, a Republican who is not running for any position in the September primary, so intensely involved in gathering absentee ballots for three minority parties one of which, the Independence Party has been called a legal racket by Phil Reisman an opinion writer for the Journal News?

Here is a link to the New York Absentee Ballot Application (see page 3) for your review. I have advised two other individuals who have expressed concern to me about the use of absentee ballots to contact the New York State Board of Elections. 

This blog is authored by Michael N. Hull, a retired senior citizen who writes opinion pieces on local political issues. He is a Director of Clarkstown Residents Opposing Patronage with Tom Nimick and Ralph Sabatini.  Hull contributes periodically to the Facebook page Clarkstown: What They Don't Want You To Know.