Election Day on Roosevelt Island - Vote Because Americans Have Fought and Died For The Right and Obligation

Image from Roosevelt Island 360

Today is election day. An opportunity for Roosevelt Island residents to select up to 6 potential nominees for appointment by the Governor and then approval by the NY State Senate to the Roosevelt Island Board of Directors. Voting machines are located at the Octagon for residents of that building, at 455 Main Street for residents of Southtown and at P.S./I.S. 217 for residents of all other buildings. The Polls are open from 6 A.M. - 9P.M. The Main Street WIRE has a special election issue out today. All Roosevelt Island residents over the age of 18 regardless of citizenship or voter registration status are eligible to vote for the RIOC nominees but should bring proof of Roosevelt Island residence such as a photo ID with address, a lease or credit card bill.

Today is also an opportunity to vote in the Democratic and Republican Presidential Primaries. The polls will also be open until 9 P.M. tonight but remember the polling location is only at P.S./I.S. 217 and only those party members can vote in their respective primaries. Also, a resident at Riverwalk's 425 Main Street advises that 425 residents may have to vote by affidavit because:

yesterday I was on the phone with the NYC elections board and lawyers from the Obama team because 425 Main Street is not in the elections system yet. I registered by the deadline, but because my address was not in the system, my registration was discarded. I was told that everyone in 425 will have this problem, and will have to vote by affidavit, which I did this morning. I am worried people who want to vote will be turned away, so I am trying to spread the word.

The important thing about today is that whoever you are going to vote for - just go out and do it. I will vote in the RIOC election but am unable to vote in the Presidential Primary because I am a registered Independent. As a registered independent, I and many others are not eligible to vote in a party primary and even if we switched our affiliation to a political party could not vote in that primary until after the next general election. If I could vote in the Presidential Primary today it would be for Barack Obama.



For more than 2 centuries Americans have been fighting and dying for the right to do so. The least we can do is to honor that memory by exercising our right to VOTE!