Description:
African American voters line up at the polls to vote in the Boston mayoral primary election. A few young African American men pose for the camera and voice their support for candidate Mel King. Footage of voters in line to get booths; going to booths. Donna Hodge interviews several African American voters about their support for King. Hodge interviews the members of an African American family who complain of voting irregularities and registration problems.
1:00:02: Visual: African American voters line up at the polls to vote in the mayoral primary election. A few young African American men pose for the camera and voice their support for Mel King (candidate for mayor of Boston). Voters pass by the camera into a building.
1:00:26: V: Voters line up at a table. Poll workers behind the table check the voters' names against the list of registered voters. Shots of African American voters in line; of voters at the table; of poll workers seated at the table. An African American poll worker leads a white female voter to a voting booth. An African American male poll worker examines the voting rolls in front of him.
1:02:39: V: Voters check in with the poll workers at the table. Donna Hodge interviews an African American male voter. The man says that he voted for King; that it is not his first time voting; that King has a chance to win; that he did not like mayoral candidates Ray Flynn or David Finnegan. Hodge interviews a young African American female voter. The young woman says that today his her first time voting; that she voted for King because he is the first African American man to run for mayor of Boston. Hodge interviews a middle-aged African American female voter. The woman says that she has been voting since she turned 18; that she voted for King; that King did not engage in bickering with the other candidates; that she hopes King will win. Hodge interviews an African American male voter. The man says that he is a middle-class African American from New York City who wants his Boston neighborhood cleaned up; that he voted for King because the city needs prominent African Americans; that he is a first-time voter. Hodge interviews a young African American male voter. The young man says that he voted for King because he wants an African American mayor. The young man says that he was impressed by King because he went out on the streets to hand out his own campaign flyers and to meet people. The young man says that he likes King's position on employment for young people; that he is a first-time voter. Hodge interviews a young African American female voter. The young woman says that she is a first-time voter; that she voted for King because he is the best man for the job.
1:08:37: V: Hodge and the crew set up an interview with an African American family outside of the polls. Hodge asks the male family member why he was unable to vote. The man says that his address was not on the list; that he was not allowed to vote on an absentee ballot because he lacked proper identification. The man's mother says that she and her daughter were allowed to vote without showing identification; the woman says that she has been voting at this polling station for 13 years. The daughter agrees that she was not asked to show identification; that her brother was the only voter asked for identification. The man's mother says that the voter lists were not complete; that she does not understand why she and her daughter were allowed to vote but not her son. The son and daughter add that their address is not on the voter list; that there were several addresses in the neighborhood not included on the voter lists.
Date Created:
10/11/1983
