Mismanagement at Polling Sites Decried by State Senator Felder

Senator Simcha Felder has released a statement yesterday saying that he is "furious at the mismanagement of today’s midterm election by the NYC Board of Elections, resulting in endless lines, confusion, and seasoned voters being turned away."

With BOE blaming high voter turnout and low staffing for the chaos, Senator Felder called out BOE for the debacle and demanded they clean up their act quickly.

While most New York State Senate offices are closed on Election Day, staffers at the Senator’s office said their phones have been ringing all day, with calls from angry voters.

"Complaints started rolling in the early morning, when voters turned up to vote at 6 AM only to find polls closed, his statement read.

"Poll workers arrived late and in insufficient numbers to man all the tables. As they slowly processed the long line of voters, many realized they had no more time to wait and headed off to work without casting their vote.

"Habitual voters called Felder’s office enraged when their names could not be located on the voter rolls. They blamed sloppy work by poll workers and decried the new tablet system, questioning whether it was any improvement at all to the old roll books where at least they could watch the lookup and help identify their name to poll workers.

"Voters had numerous complaints about their new poll sites. Some were dismayed to find their poll-site housed in a religious place of worship bearing religious symbols that should remain separate from civic duty. Other sites lacked any NYPD security presence leaving them feeling unsafe in a chaotic environment. 

Senator Felder said, “Today’s debacle should be scrutinized in great detail. The city should conduct a full investigation with public hearings and force BOE to find real working solutions. However, I applaud the passion this community has brought to the polls and I encourage you to stay strong. If for whatever reason your name can’t be found when you are sure you’re at the correct poll, request an affidavit ballot. Cast your vote today to make sure your voice is heard.”