Has anyone noticed that on Election Day this year—and in the Presidential election two years ago—if you vote at the Great Neck Plaza site at Gussack Plaza, there are never stickers that proudly say, “I Voted.”
All of my friends typically wear them all day on Election Day.
I asked about them two years ago and got the same “duh” today, too. When I asked today, they were more concerned with their coffee and bagels, and I got the same stupid blank stare. I inquired, “Where do the stickers come from?” The answer was, “Duh.” I said, “Well, call someone.” The workers were uncaring, unconcerned about a small matter like this, but it is a big deal to display the sticker.
I left word on the League of Women Voters machine, and no one at the Board of Elections was there to answer this since there is no prompt on the phones to address this.
After I voted, I went to my big bridge club game where there were about 200 people.
I was the only one stickerless.
Later in the day, I learned that there was no money in Nassau County allotted for the stickers, which cost a “mere” $20,000.
As one of the wealthiest counties in the state, why can’t we find $20,000 to make a few hundred thousand voting citizens feel part of the voting?
I know people in Kings Point who pay $60,000 in real estate taxes. The legislature is being penny wise and pound foolish at a time like this not to budget or divert the money to something that will make many, many thousands feel a part of this important day. Don’t we know or surmise how many millions are spent foolishly, or “hiddenly,” by our legislators or for suspicious endeavors that we are not aware of?
This is a small price to pay. It’s not the stickers, it is what they represent—pride and inclusion.
—Bonnie Lyons Salkind
