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Haitian broadcast station hopes to aid in voter registration
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If you can’t get people to register to vote at the Supervisor of Elections office, take the registration booth to the people.
And while you’re at it, throw a party.
With the countdown for the 2008 presidential election in full swing, local Haitian radio station La Perle is taking a new approach to get minorities involved in the election system. La Perle is a locally broadcast radio station that also has a show airing on Comcast channel 35.
Although still in the preliminary stages, the station is planning a massive voter registration event on Sept. 6, event organizer Ancelot Similien said.
With food, fun and entertainment, Similien said that he hoped the event would draw people from all of Collier County — not just Haitians — to register and exercise their right.
“They could come out and have some fun,” Similien said. “It’s going to be a family event as well as a place to register voters.’’
According to Similien, even though 85 to 90 percent of Collier’s Haitian community is eligible to vote, many don’t.
“We don’t know if it’s lack of interest or information,” said Similien, adding that he believed lack of information was the culprit. “Now you can have the time to chat with them and you bring the information to them.”
But before anyone can be registered, Similien said, next on the list for his group is to undergo voter registration training with the Collier Supervisor of Elections Office.
Gary Beauchamp, Collier County’s chief deputy supervisor of elections, said that as the date creeps closer to the Nov. 4 presidential election, he expects more and more community groups to approach the elections office for training.
“We will train any group to do a registration,” Beauchamp said. “All they have to do is contact our office and we will put them in contact with our voter registration educator.”
In the 2006 general election, 23.3 percent of the county’s eligible voters cast ballots early, not including absentee voting. Meanwhile, in the 2004 general election 34.2 percent of voters cast their ballots early.
As of June 1, there are 195,680 registered voters in Collier County. Of those residents eligible to vote 49,349 are Democrat, 38,016 are nonpartisan, 99,898 are Republican and 8,417 are affiliated with one of the state’s 22 minor parties.
For more information, call (239) 601-0349.
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Do tthese Hatians think just because they are in the country they can vote??
#1 Posted by suntan on June 7, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wouldn't think that 85 to 90 percent of Collier’s Haitians are even citizens. Let's hope they ask for proof of citizenship when they register them.
#2 Posted by BlackCat on June 7, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
SWF is turning into trash city USA.
#3 Posted by cubs84 on June 8, 2008 at 4:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Chan. 35 is public
meaning that anyone with the will and $ and get on there and spread a message.
It looks like the hatian community is getting together to spread their message on their own dime.
Not your triple play dime.
Maybe if you planned, organized and followed through then you can get a show to spread anti hatian views on chan. 35 right after that show.
It is public tv.
#4 Posted by NaplesTaco on June 8, 2008 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah!, and don't forget the blasted Irish, nasty Germans, the filthy Italians, greedy Jews, criminal Russians, backwards Pollocks, irresponsible Albanians, chequered Checoslovakians, cheap Chinese, arrogant Canadians, stinky French, and all the rest of the non good American trash that comes in here.
#5 Posted by cupcake on June 8, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CUPCAKE... You're funny... lol
#6 Posted by VOTE on June 8, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, I see the racists are out in full force today.
#7 Posted by RadioNews on June 8, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Please do not flatter yourself to think I need to explain anything to you!
#8 Posted by RadioNews on June 8, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
**** <3
cupcake
#9 Posted by NaplesTaco on June 8, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LMAO!! Good Morning!
#10 Posted by rocknfla on June 8, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
explanation?? what for?? is crystal clear,I don't need a explanation to spot a racist,and people like naplestreak and rockfl they just need a mirror to see a racist.
#11 Posted by jagv0565 on June 8, 2008 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
naplestrek,
flew right on over didn't it.
#12 Posted by cupcake on June 8, 2008 at 6:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a very sad forum.
I think you should all take a minute and think. This gentleman is trying to encourage voter registration of everyone, including those who can vote in the Haitian community. He should be praised, not attacked for his attempt. How many of you are making that attempt?
#13 Posted by lynncon on June 8, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I encourage anyone who is a citizen of the United States to exercise thier RIGHT to vote, but any third world goat breeding illegal should go back home. You have no rights.
You need to be english speaking and literate to even make an intelligent choice.
#14 Posted by Native on June 8, 2008 at 8:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Native-
Obviously being English speaking and literate are not telling signs of intelligence, judging by your decision to make that comment.
People, like Haitians, who set out in search of a better life, founded this country. (Need I remind you)?
I was born in Naples Community Hospital and my parents are both from Mississippi. They are descendants of slaves. I have been in this town for 30 years, I have watched it grow, and have seen people better their lives. How arrogant and selfish of you to think you deserve a better life more so than the next man (no matter where he may hail from, or what language he may hail in). Every race and nationality has bad apples, I’m sure you can confirm this first hand, but that should not be judge and jury for everyone. I shed a tear because these are such hurtful things you all are saying and they don’t deserve this.
Our society really cannot endure much more bigotry and hatred like I’ve seen on this forum.
Give these people a chance to thrive and get their voices heard; it is their right as human beings (just as it is yours) whether you feel like they deserve it or not. You should listen to the voices of the people around you, maybe you'll learn something you never knew, if that's at all possible for you.
#15 Posted by NOT2MINCHIN on June 9, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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