EDITOR’S NOTE



: A previous version of this article included a photograph of the Kirkland Town Library in downtown Clinton, which was identified as the local polling location for the November 6, 2018 midterm election. The correct polling location is the Town of Kirkland Municipal Building, 3699 State Route 12B, Clinton. The correct location is now reflected in this article.

The Spectator

apologizes for any confusion caused by this error.

With election season drawing near, many voters in the area are eager to participate in the political process and make their voices heard. In the Sept. primary elections, though, some encountered unexpected issues at the polls.

On Thursday, Sept. 13, Margaret Riordan ’19 and a friend from Hamilton (who asked to remain unnamed) attempted to vote in the primary elections at the Kirkland Town Library, Clinton’s polling location. When they arrived at the polling station, they were told that neither of them were listed as registered voters within the system. This was especially confusing for Riordan given that she had registered to vote two weeks prior and was told she was in the system. Upon further inquiry, Riordan learned what was going on.

“It’s called being purged from the registration,” she said. This is the practice of challenging the registration of voters, often by questioning the legality of their voter status. It has been challenged in the United States as unlawful and racially discriminatory in cases where minority neighborhoods have been the target of widespread attempts to purge voters from the registry. There is, however, no indication or proof at this time that any such scheme is what resulted in Riordan and others being unable to vote in the primary.

Although Riordan was not be able to vote that day, the polling station did offer a solution in the form of a short affidavit that would allow her vote be counted later. Still, Riordan says she knew people who were unable to vote for the same reason and were not given the option of an affidavit. She also shared that, “[The polling officials] did say that they did have a lot of similar problems that day, and it was something they were concerned about fixing before November.”

Riordan says she was troubled by the suggestion that this problem could persist through the November midterm elections, widely viewed as crucial to Republicans and Democrats alike. In the NY-22 district, where Hamilton is located, Democrat Anthony Brindisi is locked in a toss-up race against incumbent Republican representative Claudia Tenney, and the outcome of the race could very well determine whether or not the Democratic Party is able to gain control of the House of Representatives.

Asked whether her experience voting in the Sept. primary would dissuade her from voting in the general election, Riordan said, “No I don’t think I’m discouraged, but I think the everyday citizen may be.” She adds, “There is a concern in my mind about a loss of voters.”

Fortunately for Riordan and other students who might be concerned about dealing with voter purging in the general election, Hamilton Votes (HamVotes) has made a point to address the issue. HamVotes is a nonpartisan student group dedicated to increasing political participation at Hamilton, as well as providing information that will hopefully fix voting troubles students may be experiencing. HamVotes’ chair, Nicole Taylor ’19, provided insight on the problem of possible voter purging and how students can ensure their vote is counted.

“I would say voter purging is particularly harmful to students because they don’t know how to deal with the issue,” Taylor said. She stresses, though, that “there are ways that you can deal with this issue.”

Taylor outlined two distinct paths of action students and citizens can take if they find out they are no longer on the registration list.

The first option a voter has is filling out a voter affidavit handed to you by the polling officials. This is the solution Riordan used, and it allows you to cast your vote, even if it is with a little more paperwork than you might have been expecting. If, however, the polling officials do not offer you such paperwork, you could call the “Election Protection” hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

Taylor described the organization as a “national, nonprofit, nonpartisan” hotline organized by “people who are experts in election law” who are dedicated to keeping elections fair and preventing the loss of voters due to voter purging or other difficulties at the polls. Taylor said that it is best in cases like these to have as much information as possible. She suggested that it would be beneficial for students take notes or even video record of what they are being told.

While this possible issue of voter purging could seem daunting to those who are considering voting in the general election, Taylor stressed the importance of keeping these options in mind. She also wanted students and voters to know that regardless of how arbitrary this problem may seem, “it is all worth it in the end”, as, in her opinion, voting “is the best way to get your voice heard.”