State must take advantage of HAVA

02/18/05

I’m responding to comments made in the Feb. 10 article regarding Attorney General Spitzer’s encouragement of the state Legislature to pass bills reforming voting in the state.

It’s appalling to read comments made by some local leaders in favor of the status quo. Lucinda Jarvis, Otsego Elections commissioner, wants to keep the lever-type machines. James Eisel, Delaware board chairman, also favors the status quo and says few have complained about these machines. He also says Delaware County can’t afford new machines.

First, neither Delaware County nor any other county need concern itself about their affordability. The Help America Vote Act isn’t just another unfunded mandate. New York stands to receive about $220 million from the feds for purchasing machines.

More importantly, neither Delaware nor any other county can afford NOT to take advantage of the opportunity to modernize the electoral process in New York. If our leaders haven’t heard anyone complaining about the machines currently used, they’re just not listening.

Thousands of individuals with disabilities are complaining and have been for a long time. They’ve also been doing everything they can to work within the system to effect necessary change. Yet, amazingly with all our efforts to be culturally sensitive and politically correct, an entire segment of our population is still told they’re second-class citizens.

Citizens with disabilities across New York are being denied their right to vote privately and independently alongside family, friends and neighbors. No one would entertain the notion that we should keep women from voting or that we should deny people of color their right to vote. Why then is it OK to deny people with disabilities their right to cast their ballot privately and independently?

Shame on leaders who would continue to deny voting access to people with disabilities. Shame on us for letting them.

Christine Zachmeyer

Oneonta

Zachmeyer is executive director of the Catskill Center for Independence and chair of New York State Independent Living Council Election Reform Committee.