Westchester letter to voters, in Spanish, has election date wrong
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- October
- 31
The Spanish-language translation of a letter to voters, sent out by the Westchester County Board of Elections, has a certain error: the wrong date for the general election. County officials say they’re planning a round of bilingual, automated calls tomorrow to clarify the date.
The letter notifies voters about the availability at the polls of ballot marking devices, the new voting machines that will accommodate those with special needs. The English version notes the correct date for the general election, Nov.4, but the attached Spanish version puts the date at Nov. 9.
The Board of Elections failed to catch the error, Deputy County Executive Larry Schwartz said. The phone calls are meant to clear up any confusion that might result, he said, adding that he doubted anyone was unaware that Tuesday’s the day.
“If you don’t know Election Day is Nov. 4, I think you’ve been sleeping for quite some time,” he said. The county will call voters in Cortlandt, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Peekskill and Scarsdale, and additional areas if the need arises.
This comes as Westchester remains under a consent decree meant to ensure Spanish-language assistance at the polls and in written material.
The Westchester Hispanic Coalition contacted the Board of Elections today after hearing of the mistake.
“We’re happy that they’re moving quickly, and that they’ve admitted the mistake immediately,” said supervising attorney Patrick Young. “But we do hope that in the future they will give the same scrutiny to what’s put out in Spanish as to what’s put out in English.”
As new citizens, immigrants tend to be idealistic about American democracy, he said. “It’s extremely important that we not give them any reason to think that our democracy is
anything other that completely honest and above-board,” he said.
This entry was posted
on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 4:15 pm by Leah Rae.
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Another cost to the ENGLISH speaking citizens of this country. Now we have to foot the bill for all these phone calls! Maybe “they” should pay for the letters to be printed in spanish. The ENGLISH language is the language of this country! Too bad if a mistake is made in another language! What about the Russian, Albanian, Chinese, and others? Why don’t they get a letter in their language….or a phone call???
I can hear the cries for lawsuits already. Let’em cry all they want – tell ‘em “No hablas Espanol”!
In English or Spanish or Chinese or Italian or German or French -9 is 9 and 4 is 4. No excuse for such a sloppy (or deliberate) mistake. Shame on the Board of Elections and double shame on people who still see the world as “them” and us.
So 100% of the Hispanic vote will go to Obama on November 9?
I’ve separately sent the following email to a number of Westchester Country Officials:
Election Commissioners Sunderland and LaFayette:
I am appalled by the erroneous, poorly written and misleading letter you co-signed and sent to voters. With an election this important, with this much local and national coverage, I cannot imagine why you did not scrutinize it before sending it.
The English and Spanish versions give different dates for the General Election, with the Spanish version WRONG. An October surprise?
A “ballot marking device” is indicated as available at each polling place, and a note that devices (whatever they are) are returned to the Board of Elections and counted 7 days later. One could infer that votes are not tabulated on election day. Again WRONG.
I have noted that lohud.com has posted an article a little earlier this evening about the issue, and that remedial telephone calls will be made. This does not seem to be adequate.
I hope you will
(a) Get in touch with every Hispanic Group in the County to correct the misinformation;
(b) Inform every League of Women Voters group in Westchester about this matter;
(c) Get announcements immediately to every local & regional radio station and TV station, including the main news channels that serve the region;
(d) Notify every local election official and party official of the problems or confusions that may arise on Tuesday because of this mailing.
(e) Notify all local mayors, supervisors, Town Boards, etc., to alert them to the problem.
I do not think either of you should be allowed to retain your job as Election Commissioners.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Betsock Stillman
The fact that they got it right in English but somehow couldn’t manage to do so in Spanish, [on the same piece of paper!] seems to discredit any claim of “honest mistake.” Not to mention the fact that “4” and “9” are far apart on any keyboard. And the 9th is not even a Tuesday. And why did Port Chester, with such a high concentration of Spanish-speaking voters, not qualify for a corrective phone call?