Five people I have spoken to in the last two days, including a House member who sits on the SSA appropriations committee, who are all intimately involved with trying to persuade the Social Security Administration to delay it's "routine maintenance" have all gotten different explanations. From the "this is just our regular time for doing maintenance and it isn't partisan", to "it's the only three day weekend in the fall when our folks are available to do it", to the most draconian, "if we don't do it the entire system will crash". But don't take it from me, feel free to email the Congressional liaison at SSA, kenneth.a.mannella AT ssa DOT gov and ask him yourself!

I have an update on my post from this morning about the Social Security Administration. According to the legislative director in Senator Feinstein's office, the Senator sent a letter to the SSA on September 23rd asking for the postponement until after the election of the SSA's maintenance effort that will shut down it's database for three days. Yesterday, the Senator received a letter back from the SSA refusing to change its maintenance schedule.

Enormous efforts have been made by campaigns and public interest groups to register people to vote on November 4th. According to the Election Assistance Commission more than 2 million poll workers will be working at over 200,000 polling places this election. Unfortunately, what these new voters don’t know is that just registering to vote may not ensure that they are able to vote on Election Day or that their vote will be counted.

Just as people, particularly young voters, are beginning to pay attention to the presidential race, 14 states have already closed their voter registration with another 5 set to do so within the next week!

If you go to the New York State Board of Elections website, it says that the next primary is September 18, 2007. That is, more than two months ago.