they lost my voter registration

i am needing to write a cogent piece about this, but in the while i write to vent. (note: some sarcasm, conspiracy theories and even anger! follows. you must be over 18 to proceed.)

i am not sure if people caught this article in the times this weekend but every registration application generated by Rock the Vote in New York State was printed with the wrong address. over 100,000 prospective voters--people who followed the rules!--are not registered.

i didn't rock the vote. i went through a local advocacy group. my friend attempted to register in ohio, and (surprise) her registration form was never received. the long and short, i can't vote in new york. and i am mad.

meanwhile, republicans call boohoo over acorn!? did people forget that the last 2 elections there has seen systematic voter fraud?

i've been pontificating for days. and need to put together my thoughts. but also want to start a conversation, because the circles in my head are running.

for more tantalizing context: i emailed the author of the NY times article. below is our correspondence, which is mostly me ranting.

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At 12:05 PM 10/25/2008, alyssa wrote:

hi,

i just read your article about rock the vote, and i believe i had a similar thing happen to me. i recently relocated to new york and registered with an outside organization. my forms, however, never seemed to have arrived at the clerks office. this is also the situation with my roommate. i want to know if there is anything we can do?

i am extraordinarily angry, and have voted in every election since i have been of legal age. this will not be an election i will miss. but at the same time, i am not looking forward to taking off work, spending money and traveling 15 hours to my last state in order to vote. and my roommate, just can't afford fly to her last state of california.

both of us, feel like our votes have been stolen. and that our rights have been violated.

i believe something very corrupt is going on with voting. and we have a long history as such. we have elections that would not pass international standards for fairness. i hope more people like yourself start looking at _that_ systemic fraud (and not acorns).

i know i sound angry and conspiracy theorist, but having my right to vote denied really pushes one over the edge. . . .

Jim Dwyer wrote:
Hi -- Can I ask you which organization you used for the registration, and if they've been in touch with you? And may I quote your email if we run a followup?

alyssa wrote
I registered with a group setup at the NJ train station for tri-state residents. They provided no organization affiliation. I was very nervous about handing over a form, without any confirmation number or access to follow up. They said, "don't worry, you'll get something in the mail."

If I can rant again: In good faith, I had to trust this organization and the postal service. I could have been more suspicious, but I acted in good faith. However, the government does not act i kind. I am automatically suspect. Why can't I show my driver's license and passport to prove residency and citizenship? My lease, my pay stub, my utility bills, my birth certificate? Where is my protection against organizations and/or government agencies that purposely or inadvertently, mess up?

I need to write my own article and/or letter to my representatives about this, but also--I have access. I am privileged; I am highly educated and a long time voter. I can't help thinking that if its hard for me to register, how hard must it be for others with less access?

. . . .
And they say the postal service if the most trusted government agency. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Ponemon-Institute-840922.html