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From YouTube: Commissioners Corner - Dion Irish, Elections Department
Description
Election Day on November 6th is right around the corner, and it's your chance to make your voice heard. On this episode of Commissioners Corner, host, Lois Leonard and Elections Commissioner, Dion Irish, discuss how Boston is making it easier than ever to vote. Early Voting is open from October 22nd through November 2nd. For more information, visit https://www.boston.gov/elections
A
Hi
and
welcome
to
commissioner's
corner
I'm,
your
host
Lois
Leonard,
and
thanks
for
joining
us
government
of
the
people
by
the
people
and
for
the
people.
It's
a
phrase.
Many
of
us
heard
quite
often
growing
up
in
our
elementary
classrooms.
But
what
does
that
mean
to
you?
Do
you
make
your
vote
count
we're
going
to
talk
about
that
today
and
the
many
ways
the
city
has
made
it
easier
to
cast
your
vote.
The
Commissioner
of
the
city
of
Boston's
election
Department,
Dion
Irish,
is
joining
us
today.
A
A
You
it's
obviously
timely.
We
have
a
lot
of
information,
so
everybody
we
need
everybody
to
listen
because
there's
a
lot
to
learn
here.
Yes,
but
let's
begin
with
past
based
on
past
elections,
let's
just
talk
about
some
quick
statistics.
How
does
the
city
of
Boston
do
how
many
people
usually
vote
during
the
midterm
elections,
not.
B
A
B
Early
voting
began
in
2016
and
we're
happy
to
be
able
to
bring
it
again.
It
was
really
successful.
In
2016
we
had
above
nearly
50,000
people
voted
early.
We
had
about
20,000
people,
vote
early,
just
that
City
Hall
alone,
and
we
had
locations
throughout
the
city
pretty
much
in
or
near
every
single
neighborhood.
So
you
know
we
learned
a
lot
from
that
and
now
we
have
the
version
2.0
and
we're
hoping
to
build
on
that
success
from
2016.
Okay,.
A
B
B
Is
so
easy
you've
either
go
to
our
website
or
call
us
or
we'll
be
doing
lots
of
advertising
of
our
schedule
find
the
location
on
our
schedule
that
works
for
you
go
there
and
vote
unlike
Election
Day,
where
you're
confined
to
a
precinct,
you
can
any
voter
in
Boston
any
Boston
voter
can
vote
at
any
early
voting
location.
That's.
A
B
City
Hall
is
our
primary
location,
so
we're
gonna
from
October
22nd
we'll
be
at
City
Hall,
every
weekday
at
least
from
9:00
to
5:00,
but
on
Tuesdays
and
Thursdays
City
Hall
will
be
open
until
8
p.m.
for
the
after-work
voters,
and
we
also
will
have
voting
on
the
weekend
which
we
are
excited
about
this
year.
We
did
have
Saturday
voting
in
2016,
but
this
year
we
have
a
full-fledged
early
voting
weekend
with
Saturday
and
Sunday
locations.
That's.
A
B
We're
like
I,
said
we're
gonna,
be
in
or
near
every
single
neighborhood
and
on
a
Tuesday
Thursday
schedule
will
be
in
three
neighborhoods
at
a
time
on
a
Tuesday
and
other
three
neighborhoods
on
a
Thursday
on
Saturday
and
Sunday
will
will
have
a
location
that
is
in
every
City
Council
District.
We
have
nine
council
districts,
so
we'll
have
nine
locations
going
simultaneously
from
10:00
a.m.
until
6:00
p.m.
on
Saturday
and
Sunday
saying
locations
now.
A
B
B
You
you
may
have
different
elected
officials
who
represent
you,
so
we
worked
out
that
that
that
challenge
by
having
electronic
poll
books
to
check
people
in
the
electronic
poll
books
have
all
the
Boston
voters
are
in
that
poll
work
and
they
communicate
with
each
other.
So
when
you
go
to
location
a
and
vote,
we
have
a
record
that
you've
already
voted.
So
if
you
were
to
go
right
away
to
another
location
and
try
to
vote
again,
they'll
tell
you
know
you
already
voted.
Okay,.
B
Well,
we
have
a
team
of
trained
volunteers
who
are
trained
on
how
to
assist
voters
with
disabilities.
We
also
have
equipment
on
site
Lea.
We
have
an
auto
math
machine
and
the
automatic
machine
is
simply
it's
a
ballot
marking
device
that
aids
someone
with
disabilities,
but
it
also
eats
people
who
have
language
limitations.
It
will
translate
the
ballot
for
you.
It
has
different
ways
when
you
could
mock
your
ballot
if
you
have
a
physical
disability,
visual
or
auditory
disabilities.
B
A
It's
sounds
like
the
city
had
to
make
a
bit
of
an
investment
over
the
last
few
years
in
order
to
make
all
of
this
work,
the.
B
A
B
So,
in
current
law,
early
voting
is
only
available
to
up
to
us
arm
every
two
years
Fred
before
the
November
state
election
absentee
voting
is
available
for
every
election
for
folks
who
qualify,
it
allows
you
to
vote
early
either
in
person
or
by
mail
similar
to
early
voting.
However,
you
must
qualify
and
there's
three
categories.
One
is
that
you're
not
going
to
be
able
to
make
it
to
the
polls
you're
out
of
town,
whether
it
be
for
work
school
whatever
vacation?
B
If
you're
not
going
to
be
here
on
Election
Day,
you
can
vote
through
the
absentee
process.
Also,
if
you
have
a
physical
disability
that
prevents
you
from
getting
to
the
polls,
you
can
vote
absentee.
And
thirdly,
if
your
religious
beliefs,
don't
allow
you
to
go
to
the
polls
to
vote
in
person,
you
can
vote
absentee
well.
A
B
And
their
representatives
may
change
so
you
need
to
update
us.
You
could
do
that
through
our
website
or
to
fill
out
the
traditional
paper
form
and
send
it
to
us.
So
we
can
make
sure
that
it's
accurate
so
on
Election
Day,
there's
no
confusion
that
you
don't
go
to
a
polling
place
and
then
we
tell
you
oh
you're,
at
the
wrong
place
based
on
our.
A
B
B
That
is
a
question
that
I
cannot
answer.
We
do
do
an
annual
city
census
of
our
residents
were
17
and
older
and
older.
It's
you
know,
censuses
they're,
never
hundred
percent
accurate,
and
we
don't
have
the
information
that
would
allow
us
to
determine
how
many
eligible
people
are
there
who
are
not
registered,
because
we
don't
have
citizenship
information.
Necessarily,
it
is
something
that's
a
question
that
they
could
answer,
but
they're
not
required
to
answer
it
and
we
often
don't
get
that
information.
B
A
A
B
A
B
So
we
have
some
very
interesting
races
on
the
ballot
we
have.
The
governor's
race
will
be
on
the
ballot
right.
We
also
have
the
District
Attorney
Suffolk
District
Attorney's
race
will
be
on
the
ballot.
We
also
have
you
know
several
interesting
questions
that
are
on
the
ballot.
You
know
question
one,
which
is
a
question
about
nurse
staffing
ratios
question
tool
is
about
it's
about
a
constitutional
amendment
relative
to
corporations.
A
B
Good
I
love
when
there's
strong
opinions
and
I
love
when
there
are
competitive
races
because
those
things
get
people
out
to
the
polls.
So
you
know
I
encourage
everyone
to
to
read
the
shins
farming
alone
opinions.
What
we're
doing
my
office
to
aid
is
that
will
will
translate
the
questions
into
a
at
least
four
or
five,
maybe
even
six
languages
just
to
aid
in
the
process
of
folks
getting
the
information,
so
they
could
form
their
their
opinions
and
make
a
decision
and.
A
At
the
very
least,
the
the
governor,
the
run
for
governor
ship,
you
know
we
are
somewhat
a
democratic
state.
At
times
we
have
a
Republican
governor
and
I'm
hearing
a
lot
of
emotional
feedback
from
many
people
about
what
they
think
should
be
running
our
state.
So
that's
an
important
reason
for
people
to
get
out
there.
Yeah.
B
There's
so
many
important
reasons,
but
I
think
the
most
important
reasons
is
that
it's
this
you're
right.
It's
we're
a
democratic
constitutional
democracy
and
it
works
best
when
people
are
participating.
So
it's
great
to
say
that
forty
four
percent
turnout,
but
it's
even
better
to
say
eighty
or
ninety
percent
turnout
and
so
I
think
voting.
Even
if
you
vote
a
you
know,
you
write
your
name
in
you
know:
I
just
encourage
people
to
vote
right.
A
B
B
From
10:00
a.m.
until
6:00
p.m.
we'll
have
nine
locations
going
on
Saturday
and
Sunday,
so
on
Sunday,
we're
hoping
to
see
the
stole
sort
of
polls,
and
you
know
what
we're
actually
encouraging
organizations
who
want
to
do
events
to
promote
civic
engagement
to
to
let
us
know
if
they
are
gonna,
do
anything
near
our
early
voting
sites
and
and
we'll
help
to
share
that
information
with
the
community
early.
A
B
I
have
an
incredible
staff
when
I
took
this
position
in
2015
and
I
met
the
staff
and
saw
how
hard
they
worked
and
how
much
goes
on
behind
the
scenes
it
was.
It
was
amazing
I'm,
so
you
know
big
shout
out
to
the
staff
of
the
election
department
and
also
volunteers.
As
you
mentioned,
we
have
255
precincts,
we
staff
each
precinct
with
wards
and
clerks
and
inspectors.
So
we
have
nearly
2,000
volunteers
who
are
working
on
election
day
and
they're
literally
the
face
of
democracy.
They
don't
want
to
greet
the
voters.
B
A
B
B
A
Thank
You
commissioner
Irish
for
joining
us
throughout
your
busy
day
and
helping
to
spread
the
word,
and
so,
let's
do
our
part.
Many
dedicated
people
are
working
hard,
long
hours
to
pave
an
easy
road
for
us
for
more
information.
You
can
call
six
one,
seven,
six
three
five
vote
or
go
to
the
city
of
Boston's
election
department
website
at
Boston,
gov,
slash,
Elections,
no
excuses.