[BwayDems] Seniors Have Uphill Fight to Vote — Literally

[Paula Diamond Roman]

We are so proud ofSteering Committee member Norm Levine and his wife Joan for taking on this battle.Ironically, it has been incredibly frustrating for our community since theCenter for Independence of the Disabled was given free rein over closing andmoving poll sites. (Thanks for forwarding this article, Gretchen.) ==================================================================== Seniors Have Uphill Fight to Vote — LiterallyBy Dartunorro Clarkwww.dnainfo.comAugust 10, 2016 Harlem— These residentsare facing an uphill battle to vote — literally. The city's Board ofElections is being criticized for shuttering polling sites at two apartmentcomplexes, forcing hundreds of senior citizens and disabled residents to trekup steep sidewalks to vote at a relocated site. Polling sites wereclosed within the last year at Morningside Gardens, at 100 Lasalle St. inMorningside Heights, and the Grant Houses, a New York Housing Authority complexat 75 LaSalle St. and 1315 Amsterdam Ave. in West Harlem, residents said.  Voters were told theirnew site was at P.S 36 at 123 Morningside Dr., which residents complain is acouple blocks away, near busy traffic and up a sharp hill. Many of the voters areseniors and need canes, walkers or wheelchairs to get around. “Once upon a time wecould walk around,” said Grant Houses resident Laenoria Conyers, who did notgive her age but said, “Just know I’m too old to walk up the hill.”  Norm Levine, 91, saidhe eagerly wanted to vote in the primary this past June — something he has donefor years in the basement that operated as a polling site at MorningsideGardens. With the poll site change,he said he was forced to take a cab to get to P.S. 36. “In the United State,it’s crazy,” he said. “Because you’re going uphill, it was more steep than Iwas used to. “It was an easy thingto go down to the basement.” Residents are alsoconcerned about being shuffled around as the polling sites in the electiondistrict have changed over the last year. Residents ofMorningside Gardens said they have been moved four times in the Manhattanvillearea since the polling site in the building was closed.  Joan Levine, who is oneof the organizers of the group demanding the old polling site is reinstated,said the BOE should at least put a polling site at 75 LaSalle St., which wouldbe easy for Morningside Gardens and Grant Houses residents to use as well. “That’s not areasonable expectation of anyone,” she said of seniors walking up the hill. “Weare proposing very simple solutions.” Residents said theexplanation the city Board of Elections gave for the closure was accessibilityissues for disabled voters at both complexes, which they lamented as “ironic.” “I’ll be 90 next year,I can’t believe it,” said Morningside Gardens resident Joy Cooke. “But, I canbelieve it when I have to trek up these hills.” On Tuesday, residentsrallied and signed petitions. The BOE did notimmediately respond to a request for comment. Levine said thecommittee organizing the effort has not ruled out a lawsuit against the BOE. “I think that’s our acein the hole,” she said. “We hope not to do that because no one has the time orthe money.” With a Septemberprimary nearing and a presidential election in November, residents areconcerned about turnout from the two complexes. Data from the BOE showsthere has been a sharp decline in voter turnout in the area, which residentsare attributing to the closing of the sites and the arduous trip to therelocated site. Both complexes are inthe 13th Congressional District, which had Democratic primaries in 2014 and2016. The Grant Housescomplex includes two election districts — the 101st at 1315 Amsterdam Ave. andthe 102nd at 75 LaSalle St. The 102nd cast 135 ballots in the 2014 Democraticcongressional primary. However, in the Juneprimary this year, the voters cast 68 ballots, a 50 percent drop, according toofficial data. The 101st cast 185 in 2014 and 111 in 2016, a 43 percentdecrease. Morningside Gardens isin the 99th election district and cast 254 ballots in the 2014 primary. Thisyear the number dropped to 194, or a 24 percent drop. City Councilman MarkLevine — who is not related to the aforementioned Levines and represents thearea — compared the closings to Texas and North Carolina, where both states’voting restrictions were ruled discriminatory by federal courts. He said he will workwith the residents to apply “as much public pressure as possible.” “We have a majorelection coming,” he said. “Right here in Democratic New York City, we’recreating barriers to voting just like in North Carolina and Texas.
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