Slow but steady at Holy Name School in West Roxbury
By adamg - 11/2/10 - 8:03 am
It wasn't exactly busy - there were no lines - but there was a steady stream of voters around 7:15 at the polling place on the hill. One Jim Hennigan worker stood right at the stairs to the entrance, reminding people to vote in the special city-council election on Nov. 16. When one person wondered about the confusion of having a separate day for that election, the volunteer blamed Menino (in fact, it was the city council that set the date).
Paul who?
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a little enforcement of the election laws please?
"One Jim Hennigan worker stood right at the stairs to the entrance, reminding people to vote in the special city-council election on Nov. 16"
ILLEGAL.
When will Boston Police, or the state police, take the law on permitted distances for signage and campaign workers seriously?
Reminding Boston voters about the 11/16 muni election illegal?
Based on my understanding of M.G.L. c.54, § 65 it's not illegal to remind people about an upcoming election that has nothing to do with the current election. The only part of the statute that even comes close to addressing issues not pertaining to the current election deals with soliciting signatures:
Circulators of nomination papers, initiative and referenda petitions are also restricted from soliciting signatures within 150 feet of a building entrance door to a polling place. G. L. c. 54, § 65 (2002 ed.). This is true even where the nomination papers, initiative petition or referendum have nothing to do with the current election
Here's the law
Here you can read the entire law.
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVIII/Chapter54/Section65
here is the relevant section we were trying to defend today
"... and no other poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular intended to influence the action of the voter shall be posted, exhibited, circulated or distributed in the polling place, in the building where the polling place is located, on the walls thereof, on the premises on which the building stands, or within one hundred and fifty feet of the building entrance door to such polling place"
The problem with this law..
Is that it is not arrestable and you need to summons the person for a $20 fine. The wardens are the ones who are in charge and dictate who gets fined and not fined.
I guess there was a problem in Hingham with Kitty Dukakis today doing the same sort of thing.
Why are you against people
Why are you against people being reminded to vote? Which candidate is hoping people don't vote?
When we also pass and enforce laws forbidding
candidates from sending a gazillion robo-calls to home telephones and cluttering up mailboxes with a gazillion pieces of junk mail, then you might convince me that having campaign workers standing closer than 150 feet to a polling place entrance is a serious affront to the right of voters not to be "harrased" by candidates.
Oh no!
How did I miss that Stephen Fry was endorsing Lynch?
I was curious to know whether
I was curious to know whether Adam stopped to talk to the Lynch supporter. That guy lives on my block and is a lot of fun to be around.
I didn't, but I probably should have
He looked like a major character with that bowler. My brain isn't fully functioning at the crack of dawn!