Send Page to a Friend Election proposal draws criticism   By Lorne Bell The Jewish Advocate April 11, 2008   Observant Jews have always had to contend with the inconveniences of living in a secular society. From non-kosher restaurants to events scheduled on Jewish holidays and Shabbat, Jews often sacrifice social leisure for religious obligations. But for those who keep Shabbat, Boston City Councilor John Tobin’s proposal to move municipal elections to Saturday would be more than a nuisance- it would rob them of their right to vote. “The point of a democracy is for every person to be able to cast a vote at a convenient and accessible time and place,” said Nancy Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council. “This [proposal] obviously would be a problem for the Jewish community unless alternatives were made so that anyone who wants to vote can.” Tobin filed an order with the city on April 2 requesting a hearing on the matter. He said he hopes to hold that meeting before the end of the month and invited anyone with concerns to attend or offer their input via e-mail. “Obviously we are very sensitive to [religious concerns] and we have discussed them and they will certainly come into play in our deliberations,” Tobin said. “This is all about promoting access, and it should be a good thing for the city. We don’t want to shut anybody out.” The proposal seeks to increase voter participation, which was a dismal 13 percent during last year’s city elections. And although most polling stations stay open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tobin said moving to Saturdays would allow workers to vote without sacrificing time after work that might otherwise be spent with their families. “Thirteen percent is an embarrassment,” he said. “The question is, should we do something different to increase voter turnout. We have to look at any and every option.” Several towns in Massachusetts already hold voting on Saturday, including Dedham. But any proposal to change Boston’s elections to Saturday, without providing additional days on which to cast ballots, would not find community support, according to fellow Boston City Councilor Mike Ross. “I applaud [Tobin’s] efforts, but he needs to make sure that the proposal doesn’t disenfranchise other voters,” said Ross. “There has to be a way to do it that allows voting on other days too, and if that’s not the case I don’t think I could support this [proposal].” Ross said there is significant interest in expanding voting opportunities, although a solution that is convenient and inclusive of all voters has yet to be found. Dorothy Joyce, spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, agreed. “Anything that can increase the number of citizens that become engaged civically in our city, we support,” said Joyce. “We don’t necessarily agree with Councilor Tobin on his proposal, but we agreed to early voting when we filed legislation in January 2007,” said Joyce. That legislation is currently in committee at the State House and would open up voting for the 20 days prior to city elections, according to Joyce. Tobin said that he is willing to look at possible alternatives to his initial proposal- such as opening polls on both Saturday and Sunday- to ensure everyone has an opportunity to vote. “Nothing is set in stone,” he said.