"Good Morning.  This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

"President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said that "nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves…and the only way they could do this is by not voting".  That statement remains as true as ever.  A vote not cast is a voice not heard.  So I’d like to encourage all New York voters to exercise your most basic rights and make your voices heard on Election Day, this coming Tuesday, November 2nd.

"This year, in addition to choosing candidates in important State and Federal races, many New York City voters will also be electing judges.  And all of us will be asked to weigh in on two important questions that are located on the back of the ballot – so don’t forget to turn your ballot over before you turn it in.

"These ballot questions propose significant changes to the City Charter.  To find out more about the candidates on the front of the ballot and the two questions on the back of the ballot, check out the Official New York City Voter Guide, produced by the City’s Campaign Finance Board.  You can link to it through the City’s website, www.nyc.gov.

"As you may have heard – or experienced first-hand if you voted on Primary Day – the old lever voting machines are a thing of the past.  They have been replaced by a new, electronic scanning system.  Voters will mark their choices on a paper ballot and then insert that ballot into a machine that scans the images and then tallies all the votes after the polls close. 

"Unfortunately, the transition to scanning machines has been far from perfect.  Many voters experienced problems at their polling sites on Primary Day – and were understandably frustrated.  The Board of Elections is working to correct the problems, and we the voters must continue to hold them accountable.  Voting is, after all, the very foundation of our democracy and the integrity of the process cannot be compromised.  There is no excuse for mistakes or poor management at polling sites, and so we are asking all New Yorkers to report any problems they experience on Election Day.  There are a couple of different ways you can do this.  You can call 311.  Or, if you’re a Twitter user, simply Tweet your experience using #nycvotes. 

"Every day we use the data gathered by 311 calls to improve the operations of City government agencies.  This year, we’re also going to use 311 to track problems and complaints involving the polling sites.  The Mayor and City Council do not oversee the Board of Elections, but we all have an interest in holding this body accountable, and helping it improve the delivery of services. And that is why we intend to provide the data we collect through 311 and Twitter to the Board of Elections and also make it available to the public. Because the only secret on Election Day should be who you’re casting your vote for – the rest of the process should be completely transparent. 

"This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.  Thanks for listening.  Have a happy and safe Halloween, and don’t forget to vote on November 2nd."