Borough Park

Felder says: Can’t understand election booklet? Call me!

August 12, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Thousands of informational pamphlets the New York City Board of Elections has sent to voters in anticipation of the Sept. 10 primary look like junk mail, according to state Sen. Simcha Felder, who said the yellow booklets are poorly designed and confusing to read.

Calling the booklets “ridiculous,” Felder (D-Borough Park-Midwood) said he wouldn’t be surprised if many voters toss them into the trash on the belief that the literature is junk mail from stores seeking to sell them something.

Even if voters don’t throw out the important mailing, they will probably have a hard time figuring out where they are supposed to go to vote, Felder said, because of the confusing layout of the booklet.

He urged his constituents who read the booklets and who are still having trouble discerning the locations of their polling places to call his office for information.

“The mail from the Board of Elections is poorly-designed, confusing, and looks like junk-mail. I suspect most prospective voters will end up tossing it in the garbage without realizing that it contains important content. It’s just ridiculous,” Felder said.

The mailings started reaching voters’ mailboxes last week. The pamphlets include such vital information as the voter’s assembly and election districts, as well as polling locations.

The booklet is written in five languages, including English, and has randomly placed graphics, according to Felder, who said he’s troubled by what he calls “an ominous looking exclamation point” inside a triangle on the front page.

“Each election cycle, there is always a lot of talk about voter disenfranchisement. And a major contributing factor is the sloppy way in which the Board of Elections continuously fails to engage New York City voters, ” the Felder said.

For more information, call Felder’s office at 718-253-2015.

The Board of Elections did not return messages from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

 

 

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