Boro Park Polling Site Incident: Interpreter Allegedly Changes Senior Voter’s Ballot

By Y.M. Lowy

A Chinese-speaking senior who went to vote for Democratic candidates at a Boro Park polling site on Sunday discovered that her ballot had instead been filled out with Republican selections, prompting a formal complaint to the New York City Board of Elections.

The incident took place around 11 a.m. at the BPJCC, where the woman was voting during early voting. Since she does not speak English, she asked a Chinese-language interpreter at the site for help completing her ballot.

The interpreter took the ballot into a voting booth and filled it out while the voter remained outside, leaving her unable to see which candidates were selected. When the ballot was reviewed, the woman discovered that Republican candidates had been chosen, even though she had made clear that she wanted to vote for Democrats.

City Council Member Susan Zhuang, who had accompanied the senior to the polling site, confronted the interpreter along with the voter. The woman immediately requested that the ballot be canceled, and the incident was reported to the polling-site coordinator. The interpreter was subsequently reassigned to the information desk.

The interpreter denied changing the voter’s choices, saying she had filled out the ballot according to the woman’s instructions.

Zhuang filed a formal complaint with the Board of Elections, calling for an investigation and the interpreter’s removal from election duties. She also asked the board to determine whether other voters may have been affected.