Stavisky Picked for Board of Elections Commissioner (VIDEO)

At the Rockland County Democrats convention on Monday night, they voted on who to nominate for county's Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner. County Democratic Committee Chair Kristen Stavisky was nominated unchallenged and voted in. 

"On Oct. 24 the executive committee met (and a resolution was made) regarding the recommendation for a democratic commissioner for board of elections," said the committee's First Vice Chair Chris Sampson. "A vote was taken and it was resolved by the Rockland County Democratic Committee that said executive committee hereby approves and recommends that Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky be appointed as Democratic Commissioner of Elections for Rockland County for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2013." 

O. Fred Miller, chair of the Haverstraw Democratic Committee, made the nomination and Nicole Doliner, chair of the Clarkstown Democratic Committee, seconded it. There were no other nominations from the floor and no objections during the vote. 

The county legislature still needs to approve the vote to make it official. Stavisky will succeed Ann Marie Kelly, who is retiring. Stavisky said she would remain in her post as county Democratic chair, a position she was elected to in February 2011.

She said a lot has changed over the past 15 years and the office should be modernized to be more proactive.

Her thoughts for changing the office include more training for inspectors and poll watchers and other steps to make voting more accessible. Stavisky said people staffing the polling locations must be able to speak different languages so they can assist voters.  She noted some people encountered problems when they went to vote on November 6 but acknowledged that is not unusual. 

“I think every Election Day there are difficulties,” she said.

She noted Election Day this year came on the heels of Hurricane Sandy and that poll workers also had to be deal with Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Order allowing registered voters displaced by the hurricane to vote anywhere in the state. 

Stavisky would use social media to promote the board of elections and encourage people to register and vote.  She pointed out that Rockland Community College ran a very effective outreach campaign to register voters and may have registered the most of any community college in the state.

“My goal is to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote can vote,” said Stavisky.