Democrats are telling
voters that they had better head to the polls — or else.
The
committee — chaired by former Gov. David Paterson — defended the scare
tactic, calling it standard practice throughout the country.
The New York State Democratic Committee is bullying people into voting
next week with intimidating letters warning that it can easily find out
which slackers fail to cast a ballot next Tuesday.
“Who you vote for is your secret. But whether or not you vote is public
record,” the letter says.
“We will be reviewing voting records . . . to determine whether you
joined your neighbors who voted in 2014.”
It ends with a line better suited to a mob movie than a major political
party: “If you do not vote this year, we will be interested to hear why
not.”
The letter and accompanying post card was criticized even by party
members, with one Democratic consultant saying it was the wrong way to
inspire votes.
“It’s a threatening letter. It’s a scare piece that is unnecessary and
inappropriate,” the insider said.
Brooklyn and Manhattan residents who received the note Wednesday were
furious, calling it an attempt to browbeat them into showing up at the
polls.
“I’m outraged. Whether I vote or not is none of your business!” said a
Manhattan voter, who was so incensed that she complained to a local
Democratic leader.
“The letter is ludicrous and menacing,” said the voter, who requested
anonymity.
The woman also received a report card of her voting record, pointing
out that she had failed to vote in two of the last four elections.
Overall, the notices were sent out to 1 million registered Democrats
who had failed to vote in previous midterm elections, according to the
group.
The committee — chaired by former Gov. David Paterson — defended the
scare tactic, calling it standard practice throughout the country.
“This flier is part of the nationwide Democratic response to
traditional Republican voter-suppression efforts, because Democrats
believe our democracy works better when more people vote, not
less,” said Peter Kauffmann, a committee spokesman.
“The difference between Democrats and Republicans is they don’t want
people to vote and we want everyone to vote.”
Paterson declined to comment.
The mailer has a phone number on it that goes to Election Protection, a
nonpartisan voting organization.
The organization said it had received a “significant” number of calls
about the letter.
Such attempts to shame people to vote — what politicos call “social
pressure” or peer pressure — has become more common place and was used
by the Obama campaign in 2012, sources said.
A Yale University study in 2008 found that voter participation
increased substantially after lazy voters received letters telling them
their spotty voting history was a public record that would be
scrutinized.
The notice includes a “vote report card” rating New Yorkers’ voting
records as “excellent,” “good,” “fair” or “incomplete.”
“Many organizations monitor turnout in your neighborhood and are
disappointed by the inconsistent voting of many of your neighbors,” it
says.
The letter came a week before heavily favored Democratic Gov. Cuomo
faces off against Republican Rob Astorino.
Cuomo was not behind the shame letters, party sources insisted.
But Astorino scoffed, “Andrew Cuomo’s thuggish tactics just crossed the
line into creepy territory . . . Threatening and intimidating people is
not how honorable elected leaders operate.” [
New
York Post]
