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Americans all over the country are heading to their polling places to cast their votes for President as well as a number of other races. Polls opened at 6 a.m. in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and they close at 8 p.m. in NJ and CT and at 9 p.m. in NY.
Based on anecdotes, the predictions of high voter turnout are coming true. Overall, we're hearing that lines were forming early in the morning. Some confusion may be due to people not knowing what district they are in (some polling sites have voting multiple districts--you can look up your district here) and some waits are from only one voter registration book being available or issues with how lines split by the alphabet (A to L here, M to Z there) are handled by poll workers.
Updated: Here's video of a crazy line snaking around the block outside a Greenwich Village polling site, taken by Stacy Horn at 11 a.m. Stick it out till near the end for a glimpse of a well-known indie actor who will be guest-starring on 30 Rock later this season.
And here's a video of the wild line outside P.S. 9 in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights neighborhood; the video is taken at 6:30 a.m. and CityRoom estimated, that at 6 a.m., there were 400 people on line.
And here are some readers' accounts--more after the jump, as well as other information, and you can tell us about your experience by leaving a comment or sending us an email or photos at tips(at)gothamist(dot)com:
- A poll worker on the Upper West Side said there was a small line waiting for him and his fellow workers at 5:30 a.m.
- A voter in Jersey City said he arrived just before 6 a.m. and ended up being the 31st person to vote.
- At 117th Street and 5th Avenue in Harlem, Joe Schumacher reports that people who arrived at 6:15 a.m. only got out of the polling site at 8 a.m.: "A poll worker came out and explained that there are two machines but only one book. The book has to be passed between the booths which slowing everything down."
- From Greenpoint:
I thought I would be ahead of the curve by getting up at 6am to go to the polls first thing. Although sure enough, at 6:05 there were already about 40 people at the polls. So I go ahead and show them my card and get in line, when at 6:07 someone announces that the voting booth in my line is broken. The woman at our booth who was in the bathroom can't believe this, comes over, and says very loudly "Oh no it's not broken, that just what it looks like when they vote Republican." And I'll tell you, that was one embarrassed conservative walking out of the booth. Two minutes later the next crisis is announced when someone exclaims "we have no paper ballots!" Once again our confident leader tells them that if they had read their instructions they would know they are located at the BACK of the booth. And didn't they even read their instructions??
Twenty minutes later I'm leaving the polls where the line now stretches out the door. Inside there are only 6 people and one police officer running the whole show. I overhear someone say "I don't think they were prepared for this turnout," but how, after all this, could everyone not expect this? I'm always surprised that every year the polls are understaffed and EVERYONE is caught off guard by the myriad crises erupting throughout the day.Anyway, whoever lives in NYC, I hope you went early because it's all downhill from here.
- From a reader at P.S. 29 in Cobble Hill: "line snakes from henry street, up baltic, and onto clinton. very sad."
- From P.S. 17 in Williamsburg:
I voted this morning and I had a painless experience. I arrived at 5:45 AM and there were four people in line. By the time we were let into the polling place at 6:05 AM the line snaked around the building and there were probably 100 or more people waiting to get in. The voting machine for my district was broken at first, but the problem was quickly rectified. I was third in my district to vote and I was out of the building by 6:20 AM.
While my experience was smooth, I could tell that it was going to be a long day for everyone else. The Eisenhower era voting machines combined with poll workers who haven't seen daylight in thirty years is a bad combination. The BOE needs to put a term limit on poll workers because every election it's the same party machine people
doing a half-ass job and not knowing where to direct people.Additionally, many voters are struck by the same mysterious disease that air travelers get - an acute inability to follow simple instructions that have been in place for decades and to read signs pointing them to the correct destination.
- From P.S. 84 in Williamsburg:
Waited about 30 minutes in total. The long was line for the 61st district, but quite short for the 65th and non-existent for the 60th who also vote at P.S. 84. I thought they might bring out a few extra machines to speed the process but it was the same setup as for the local elections - one per district.
There was some confusion over a discrepancy between the numbers on the voter cards and the number of votes registered by the machine. Apparently some earlier voters had left the line (out of frustration?) after signing in to get their voter card and none of the poll staff noticed, throwing off the numbers for all the following voters. They were working to correct the problem as I left. Hope my vote gets counted!
- From P.S. 32 in Carroll Gardens:
I got to the booths at 8am hoping to beat the crowd. You step in, you tell the front desk your address and then they proceed to tell you to go to the back of the line, negating the fact that you need to go to the sign in desk then to the back of the line. Myself, along with about 5 other people in my vicinity realized this, only I went up to the sign in desk and asked them if i could sign my name and get back in my spot. The guy behind the sign in desk said "no, because we write down your number on this card here and that coincides with the number in the voting booth." It makes sense, but when you get to the back of the voting line, the people in front of you aren't the same people who signed in, in front of you. The 4 other people around me thought, "well how do they know if you signed in or not?" This raises a valid point, because when you sign your name (they don't even check ID), they just tell you to wait in a line 50-75 people long with no evidence showing you signed in. Those 4 other people stayed in line, didn't sign in and voted.
Basically if you go to PS 32 in district 76 or 75, you can vote numerous times as they have no idea who signed in or not. Zero controls in place and people running the show have no idea what they're doing. I can only imagine how it is in other places.
Waited for 90 minutes. Line at 9:30AM was 75+ people long for Disctrict 76. District 75 line was easily double.
- From the Financial District:
I vote at St. Margaret House at 49 Fulton St in the Financial District. Waited on line to vote for 3.5 hours this morning. Arrived around 9:20am and didn't leave until a bit before 1pm. Thankfully, my employer was understanding. Everyone seemed very determined and respectful, not one person gave up and left the line. That said, it was all kind of shocking. One person nearby said "Nobody lives in the Financial District, who are all these people??" The woman in front of me on line had been voting at that location for 20+ years and said she never has to wait more than 5 minutes, except in 2004, when she thinks it may have been 15 or 20 minutes. Also, not nearly enough poll workers around, who didn't seem to know as much about election laws and policies as I did.
On a somewhat related note, few of the voters around me on line realized that our election machines and systems in New York are incredibly antiquated. Lever voting machines were supposed to be replaced, by Federal law, in 2004, and NYS got an extension until 2006. We are still using them in 2008! Incredibly pathetic.
Related to voting waiting time: MSNBC's Rachel Maddow questioned whether long lines for voting is a poll tax, when people must still go to their jobs on Election Day.
Other websites: NYC Board of Elections, NY State Board of Elections, NJ Division of Elections, and Connecticut Secretary of State. Barack Obama's website has information about voting in all states; John McCain's website requires you to enter your email address before proceeding to voter information.
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My sister went to vote in Astoria and the polling place was not open because the supervisor was not there yet. This was after 7am....
Voting in East Harlem's LaGuardia Memorial House went well for me - was in & out in less than 5 minutes.
jm1975: Really? Man that's fucking sucky. Where was her polling place? I'm in Astoria as well and had to vote at P.S. 17. I got there around 6:10 and things were moving right along.
Even without the voting info I got in the mail, I was out of there in about 30 mins. Those old ladies really know how to keep a line going!
Also:
"A poll worker came out and explained that there are two machines but only one book. The book has to be passed between the booths which slowing everything down."
My head just a-splode.
I voted in East Midtown at Cathedral High School this morning--the line snaked from 1st Avenue to 2nd Avenue and around the corner, but it moved pretty quickly. Took about an hour.
Voted in Williamsburg on N 5th. Showed up at 6:10, and had to wait about 45 minutes.
Just voted on UWS... 86th District is having issues with only one sign-in book. Took over an hour to make it through the line, which just keeps growing.
Kensington Brooklyn had a huge turnout at 7am - lots of people were spilling out into the streets going to the local Junior high to cast their ballots. My machine only had one person waiting, but I noticed other lines of 50 people or so weaving around the gymnasium. There was definitely a sense of excitement. For anyone in the vicinity of Vox Pop here in Ditmas Park, I recommend joining us at 1022 Cortelyou Road as the polls close and we prepare to celebrate.
i voted at p.s. 9 on west 84th street. i lined up at 5:45 a.m. with a lot of other people, but the line moved very quickly once the polls opened.
i was in the line for 79th, which only had one book and one person who bounced between two voting machines. but i was done and on the subway by 6:30 a.m.
a lot of people here at work have been complaining about lines. a friend on the east side of prospect park said he went to vote and the line was simply too long to wait in before he had to get to work.
i wonder if we'll ever see presidential election day deemed a national holiday, so people can take the whole day to vote. i'd have to assume that would make voter turnout better, considering people wouldn't have to worry about waiting in a line and being late to work.
I bet NYC gets very little McCain votes.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn was easy. I'm the 92nd District and our line was small. One of the others had a bit of a wait. Overall time: 15-20 mins. Time of day: 8:00am.
It's an interesting area: Lot of Catholics because there are a lot of first and second generation Poles--so most likely Republicans. But there's also plenty of yuppies (me), third gen Poles, and hipsters (most likely Democrats).
I'd suspect it leans Democratic in this election, but barely.
I voted for Bob Barr, and I hope that Nydia Velázquez gets bounced from her Representative seat more than anything else in this election.
OBAMA IN A LANDSLIDE!!!!
I was at PS-70 in Astoria/LIC, got there at about 7:15 and was out within ten minutes with everything running smoothly.
I voted at PS 29 - if you know your election district you can bypass that big line and walk right in to the main voting room. Even with the line, it took about 40 minutes tops.
Took me an hour and a half. Turnout is insane in black areas of the city.
I pretty much hate living at the Jersey Shore, but today I was glad to be here...there are probably 3 polling places within a mile of me. One of my neighbors from around the corner was registered at a different firehouse than the one I was registered at...just down the street! Seems like they have more than enough polling places here. I was in and out in 5 minutes at 7 am!
Well, that makes one day out of 365 that I'm glad I live here. Heh. Good luck to everyone out there, hopefully things run as smooth as possible.
PS 154 in Brooklyn (Windsor Terrace) checking in. I intended to get up early at 6:00am to vote, but chose to sleeep. When I arrived at 7:40, there was no line outside, but the room was packed. Still, it was manageable.
Some people take 10 seconds to vote, others take so much time I wonder if they're not taking a dump in there. Others bring their kids into the box to show them democracy in action. I can appreciate that, dad, but hurry it up, will ya? Have the kid pull the lever and get out of there.
Finished up at about 8:20, so a wait of about 40 minutes. Not bad. When I left, there was still no line outside.
District 20 in Brooklyn, voted at PS 46 on Clermont. The line stretched about halfway to Park Ave, but since District 20 is such an industrial area I didn't have to wait on the line. In and out in about 20 minutes.
Writing in Ron Paul was too much of a hassle given this AM's chaos, so Nader it was.
P.S. love the pictures! Our machines were digital. I should have gotten a pic with my cameraphone.
In Park Slope the line is around the block.
p.s. 46 in fort greene on clermont --
arrived at 6:10, in and out in about 40 minutes... line stretched down the block towards flushing avenue.
a little chaotic inside, but a mayhem of excitement/joy... dare i say it: something magical in the air.
I got in line at 117th and Frederick Douglass in Harlem at 6am and was out at 7:45. Everyone was really nice, but the space was way too small. The church is not even handicap accessible which led to doors and tables being used to get people in and out.
Brooklyn @ PS217 (Newkirk Ave) @ 7:30 - a modest crowd. My district has a short line compared to the others. The whole thing took about 15 minutes. (The friendly poll worker commented "That's a good name!" regarding my obviously-of-Irish-descent moniker.)
District 78 in South Brooklyn at PS 129 has big, big crowds but things are moving really quickly. It's extremely organized, the poll workers are very pleasant. The whole thing took me 25 minutes.
Great job South Brooklyn.
I voted at the one on east 25th st and was done in about 20mins, this was at about 730am.
I'm always amazed by these stories of long lines. I vote in Brooklyn at Murrow H.S. (District 80) and I've never had to wait on a line, unless I went with family members and let them go first. I just walk up to the table, give them my name, sign, and vote.
They don't give out stickers though, which is very disappointing.
Things ran pretty smoothly in North Bklyn Hts/DUMBO (P.S. 8) around 8AM. There were huge lines for other districts but for DUMBO it wasn't too bad.
What was amusing was that they had split up my district into two lines: last names starting with A-L and M-Z. The line for the M-Zs was at least 20 deep, but for A-L I just walked right up and signed my name. We must be heavy on the latter half of the alphabet in my neighborhood.
All in all, I was in and out in 20 minutes AND saw Ana Gasteyer and Paul Giamatti in line!
In hells kitchen the lines were tremendous. I have never in my life seen so many people comin out to vote... I LOVE IT!
PS 11 on Waverly in Clinton Hill, arrived at 6:05 to a line around the block. Waited an hour to cast my vote. There was excitement in the air, and lots of photos being snapped. Neighbors smiling despite the early hour and the long wait.
Our A-L line was at least twice as long as the M-Z line when I was there. I thought someone was going to make a joke about the "Bradley effect" when they read off mine name, but it didn't happen. I wanted a I voted sticker too, to no avail.
I voted at Wadleigh HS on West 114th in Harlem and it took an hour - I arrived at 6:05 and left at 7:05. Three machine in the place, but they only were using two because one was supposedly broken and/or they didn't have enough sign-in books. I shouldn't get mad at the staff their, since they were busy doing their best, but they or the set-up clearly were overwhelmed and not communicating well with each other, so there was a lot of running around. I was about the 35th person to vote at that venue and it took an hour. The line was massive when I left.
I sort of would like to work at the polls next year, but don't know if my temper could handle a day of working with a bunch of people who are not more efficient. Excuses, excuses...
chinatown was a breeze at 8:30am; voting took all of about 5 minutes.
#32, Why does that not surprise me.
So glad I got up at the ass-crack of 5:30 to get this done. PS 171 in Astoria was moving smoothly, though there were hiccups with the staffing.
thanks for letting us know that your a fucking idiot, Felix
Here in Boerum Hill, there was a bit of a line at 7:45 (length varied by election district) but we were in and out within half an hour. Great turn out, much excitement in the air!!! Heading to the Bell House later for the results!
thanks for letting us know that your a fucking idiot, Felix
You stay classy, salad.
tribeca is okay. It's a little longer than the kerry/bush line but manageable.
Anyone voted yet at PS 172?
The long lines in some places are not a big deal here in NYC and NYS -- at least for the hotly contested national elections.
BUT if the vote was going to be a close, a wait of more than 45 minutes or an hour could have an effect - it's like a poll tax that affects some people more than others. Not good.
PS 234 on Greenwich Street/Tribeca/LWS wasn't too bad. About 15-20 minute wait.
If Obama wins and we get the government controlling all aspects of business and life, do you think the lines will be better or worse?
I voted at PS199 on West 70th Street - got there around 6:15AM and there was a lot of confusion. I was directed to the wrong line twice (not the fault of the actual poll workers - some volunteer "election fairness monitor" type took a few of us out of one line in error and then we had to go back to the end - THANKS!) and then the line for district 56 was huge - it seems that there was only one machine for that district or there are a lot of new condo/trump plaza people crowding it up. I saw at least three people who had come with children leave the 56 line cause it was too long. I pretended I was in Florida and waited for about 50 minutes until I could vote. Other districts had much shorter lines and voted very fast. Not sure what is up there ... nice bake sale and everyone very nice .....
PS 172 was pretty good. No line, but the room was packed. In and out in 10 minutes. It was my first time voting in Brooklyn, so I was a little overwhelmed. There was one booth for my district. Is this normal? Everyone seemed pretty helpful and organized.
Voted downtown at St. Margaret's House. Arrived 5:50 at was out the door by 6:30 but as I left the line was doubling back and around the corner. The biggest problem was lack of cohesion and understanding in which district people should be voting. Most of the confusion could be traced to the poor setup of the room but the staff didnt help matters; they were obviously understaffed.
PS 146 in Spanish Harlem… I got there at 7:45 am and was out by 8:00. There were maybe 4-5 people ahead of me in line. Everything went quite smoothly.
No problem for me in Chinatown, either. Just about 5 people in front of me at P.S. 2 this morning around 8.
I was in and out in Astoria on 42nd street...I arrived at 6am and ther were about 40 people in line....I was out by 630am. The staffers were retarded though...some of them were older tham McCain.
Great pics, Jen.
voted at 549 Riverside Drive around 8:45am.. definitely the longest lines i've ever seen there. there were two voting machines, and two books of names. one book was A-L, the other M-Z. not sure if this was just bad luck or mismanagement (stacking way more names in the first group), but the line to checkin for A-L was about 20 minutes long, and the line for M-Z nonexistant. Still, things were orderly and civil for the most part.
For anyone who HASN'T yet voted you can speed things up if you find out which district you are in beforehand - you can do that here:
https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx
You can look yourself up - find out which district you are in and where you should go.
"If Obama wins and we get the government controlling all aspects of business and life, do you think the lines will be better or worse?"
What a stupid and uninformed comment. "Yeah, he's gonna, like, control all aspects of, y'know...life...and...business!"
Do us a favor and don't procreate.
PS3 on Staten Island was a breeze... 5 minutes...
I'm new to SI, and feel in the minority here but... I'm an OBAMA MAMA!!!
@upperwestsidegirl--good idea! Seems like most of the confusion is related to district--as well as whether the books are split down the alphabet.
voted for the first time in the USA...pretty amazed in the "machanical" vote register.
I was #19 at my poll this morning, was there at 6, back in bed by 6:15
Rocknrope: If you think my comment is stupid, then YOU are the one who is uninformed. Better actually research Obama's ideologies!
I voted today in a mostly black neighborhood, and the turnout was insane! Two long lines of people snaked through corridor after corridor and out the back door of the building. There was definite excitement in the air and the strong sense that we all were part of something historic. Old people, young people, people in wheelchairs -- seemingly everybody turned out to vote. This was in stark contrast to the turnout at past elections, which was so paltry that I was able to breeze in and out of the polling site. But this morning...
The only reason I got in and out in 40 minutes was because there was a shorter line for people in my election district. I was thoroughly expecting a two-hour wait.
Ps. I get the feeling that they didn't open my poll site on time either.
Voted at 8AM at the Local 802 on 322 W48th St.
The staff really kept things moving! In and out in half and hour!
I still cannot understand why only some states have early voting.
I also can't understand why, unlike many MANY other countries, we don't give everyone the day off to vote- or at least do it on a weekend.
0 minute wait at my polling station in brooklyn heights (122nd district)-- we just walked right in. a few of the other precincts at the same place had what looked like a 15 minute wait. everyone seemed pretty chill, and there was a bakesale going on for the local school.
A word to the wise.
Tomorrow apply for an Absentee Ballot and vote in the comfort of your home from now on.
I voted two weeks ago that way.
Rocknrope, salad, and others.. don't feed the trolls.
I sent an hour in line waiting to vote. There was a good atmosphere in the room, and everyone seemed to take it in stride. When I got to the polling place at about 9 am there was about 200 people in line and when I left an hour later there was about 200 people in line. It was an hour well spent.
Voted around 7:00 this morning at 112th & Frederick Douglass in Harlem. There were lines snaking around the blocks at multiple polling locations that I could see -- huge turnout already. The workers at my site were prepared and efficient, however.
I arrived to vote at PS 10 at 7:20am and it was an orderly scene. The people running the show were actually extremely polite and helpful (that makes such difference.) Start to finish, I was there about 45-50 mins.
And of course, the PS 10 PTA was out there with a GREAT bake sale with coffee from the Red Horse coffee house on 6th ave!
Happy election day everyone!!
The Naked Cowboy is on CNN and says he voted for John McCain.
I voted at PS 282 in Park Slope early this morning. I was in line by 6:15, but the line was around the corner and down the block. I was outside about 15 minutes and then waited about 45 minutes inside the gym. It was crowded and hot but people seemed to be in good spirits. After I voted I went to the gym and walked past two other schools where the lines were just as long.
i'll vote tonight, there's never a wait.
Comment 40- the original poll tax was a fixed tax tied to voting. Therefore, it had the exact effect of disproportionately discouraging lower income individuals from voting. Obviously $1 means more to a person making $100/year, then a person making $1000/year. The waiting times, have almost (though not exactly) the same effect. People who are salaried are generally better off and have more flexibility in their schedule. Hourly workers are the poor that must works shifts and see a direct decrease in their earnings if they take time off work. Hence, the same effect.
Regarding long lines:
1. Yes, they are evidence of unprecedented voter engagement and a hopeful sign of civic engagement.
2. They are also evidence of the shameful, inadequate, and anti-democratic system that we have in this country. We cannot tolerate a voting infrastructure that requires people to wait in line for hours. It is absolutely a type of poll tax that disproportionately impacts people who cannot wait in such lines due to their job, disability, or family responsibilities.
I don't think many people are complaining here, but just be happy you don't live in Ohio where the wait is probably several hours longer.
@SNeaker They've never given out stickers in NYC. Not in any polling location I've voted in.
I voted at 60 Division Street in South Williamsburg. The line was not terrible, I was in and out in about 30 minutes, but what struck me as incredibly wrong was that more people were filling out paper ballots than were voting in the booth. About 3 out of every 4 people in my line were not on the list and almost every one of them had their voter registration cards!!! How did so many end up not on the list???
#66 - Not surpising - an article on him awhile back states he's a big Ayn Rand fan. (Also that he makes how-friggin-much?!?! money doing his shtick.)
Election day should be made a national holiday in order to avoid this kind of disaster.
I waited an hour and 45 minutes to vote at PS 92 in Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn. The wait was only about 5 minutes at IS 2, only a block away. Shame on the NYC Board of Elections for being unable to split the population between these polling places.
The line was moving, everyone was in a good mood, and cars and buses were cheering us on!
Let's go Obama!
Took me two hours to vote in Cobble Hill. Gotta love those broke-down machines!
Voted at Madison High School as part of District 70 at 10:00am.
No line at all. Very pleasant election workers.
Topic tangent: Saw Barack voting in Chicago. Why does the Illinois ballot take 10 minutes just to fill out? I was in and out in in less than a minute in Brooklyn.
nice_job: I don't see how making it a holiday avoids the lines. Sure, it would even out the "rush hour", and more people would be able to wait on line without economic consequence, but it seems like there is a fundamental bottleneck with the voter registration books. Having one book for 1,500 people (or whatever it is) just isn't efficient.
#77 I was in and out in less than a minute as well, but I also had people in front of me that took at least 5 minutes each. What the hell do people do in there???
The line in Williamsburg at Diego School on Berry was quite a breeze. I was in and out in about 35 mins. (at 9:45). Most people were calm and upbeat. The guy behind me was a walking disaster. Muttering to himself, bitching about how long each person took in the booth (there was only one for our district) and complaining they wouldn't let his dog in the school to no one in particular. I didn't let him get me down though. GOBAMA!!
Where I voted, while the lines were long and a bunch of us were waiting to vote, one of the three machines was standing idly by, supposedly because it was broken (though I saw people vote on it before me) but really because their was only one book and the workers couldn't determine how to keep track of who voted with what machine if there was more than one option. That's an embarrasing organizational problem.
Our Government should be ASHAMED of itself with the disorganization and lines like this.
It's fcking 3rd world. Same as our response to hurricanes.
@74 Absolutely, everyone should have election day off. It's important, and it would help ease the lines.
from Williamsburg:
although the lines were not that long, the process was mismanaged. many folks didn't know their district and there was only one person dedicated to directing them to the proper line. at the check-in table and i was told they didn't have me in that district's book and sent me to another line. 45mins later, i was not in the other district's book and was sent back to the original table and ultimately filled in out a write-in ballot. frustrating and inefficient.
I can't wait for universal health care!
Wait was about 50 minutes in Williamsburg at the Swingin' 60's Senior Center this morning around 930. It seemed organized enough, but I did see a girl get a bit pissed off because she had her voter card and she wasn't on the list. No one really knew what to tell her to do. They were going to have her fill out a paper ballot, and she asked, "Do you know who's going to be counting these votes?" And none of the workers really had an answer. I'd want to know that too, if that happened to me.
Just about an hour to get in and out of 92nd Street Y polling place. The line was down the street and wrapped around the corner, even as I left there around 10:15. No one was complaining; I think people were entusiastic to see such a good turnout. Though I would heavily be in favor of early voting!
I agree that long lines are a huge problem (I waited for over an hour on UWS), and that they do seem to become a poll tax of sorts. However, I think the larger problem is that people are not aware that in New York State your employer is required to allow you up to 2 (PAID) hours off to vote. Personally my office did not comply with the law, which requires that employers notify you of this right at least 10 days before the election. I am assuming that many more employers also ignored the law in an effort to save a few dollars.
The workers at Baruch were horrendous this morning. I waited on line for nearly 2 hours to fill out an affidavit. Also no one seemed to know what an affidavit was or what to do with it when i was finished with it. They never even asked for ID!
four small pictures from PS 122 in Queens. Lines were quick and easy (once I found out the right line I was suppose to be in). Lots of people and it moved pretty smoothly.
People complaint about such little things!
yeah it would be aweosem if you spend 5 minutes maximum, but it does not happen like that...it is not that bad. Iphone crazy was worse; this is ellecting the president, this is changing the future!
Voted at PS 29 in Cobble Hill this morning--I have one word to describe it: CLUSTERFUCK. Long lines (we waited over two hours), completely disorganized, people rudely butting in line/pushing, screaming children (running around, throwing tantrums on the floor), broken booths, clueless attendants. It was an awful experience.
frocky that law is kind of bogus.. iirc it only gives you two hours if you are working 100% of the time while polls are open. So basically you'd have to be working a 15-hr shift to get that 2 hours. Sure it helps some people, but it's meaningless to most.
At least, that's my company's policy, and they're based mostly in New York, so I think they'd be following the law...
If Election Day were made a national holiday, most people would probably go on vacation.
I voted at 11 AM at the Swingin' 60's Senior Center in Williamsburg. I waited about 15 min. The line for my district(13)was much shorter than the line for the 12th district. It seemed a bit chaotic in front if you didn't know your district, but if you knew your district and used the side door it was quick and efficient.
I voted at 8:30 in the morning in Newark at my local Fire Station. No real line to speak of until after I left. However there was only one voting machine...which arrived broken. Everyone was being given provisional ballots and just asked to go to various corners of the Fire Station to fill them out. The ballots' instructions stated that pencils should be used, only pens were available. I spent more than an hour trying to track down anyone at the County Board of Elections who gave a crap about the broken machine. I was told that my vote would be counted even if it was filled out in pen. It was my first time voting - I'm a new citizen - and the whole thing left a bitter taste.
It was pretty quick in Queens. Voted around 9AM and there weren't too many people. Mainly senior citizens coming out to vote. Only 4-5 people lines at most booths. I got in and out in about 20 minutes.
Voted at the 32nd ED at W24th St (High School of Fashion) in Manhattan at about 11:30 AM. Took about 20 min. even with waiting in the wrong line for a few minutes. Good idea to check your ED before you get in line.
This sure is nerve wracking. Hope Obama makes it!
I'll have to vote tonight, after work, when my vote won't really matter anymore, me living in Brooklyn. I find all the Obama posters and pins becoming humorous, like by wearing one you're at all differentiated in Brooklyn I may wear a LaRouche pin to the polling place or, for a truly tragic tone, Nader. Of course I'll vote Obama; I'm not a schmuck.
Looking at the long lines in the photos makes me think of the other photo here recently, the one of the chaps peeing on a wall during the marathon. The lines to vote are unacceptably long. Where do waiting voters go to pee?
@98, check my ED? Are you suggesting I use Viagra to help with the wait?
Just to add one more story to the list...I voted at PS6 in Brooklyn (Flatbush). This was my third time voting there and the first time I have ever encountered a line, which is cool. Everyone in line was patient and the mood was pretty positive. The major issue with this location was its size- there were at least 10 different districts with machines there but no room to form individual lines, hence the one huge line that stretched down the block and around the corner. I waited about an hour and a half (arrived at 10:15 am hoping for a mid-morning lull) to get about 3/4 of the way through the line, at which point there was a poll worker telling people which districts had no wait inside. Luckily mine was one of them. When I left at 11:45, the line was just as long as it was when I arrived.
"I will stop, I will stop at nothing.
Say the right things when electioneering
I trust I can rely on your vote.
When I go forwards you go backwards
and somewhere we will meet.
When I go forwards you go backwards
and somewhere we will meet.
Ha ha ha
Riot shields, voodoo economics,
it's just business, cattle prods and the I.M.F.
I trust I can rely on your vote.
When I go forwards you go backwards
and somewhere we will meet.
When I go forwards you go backwards
and somewhere we will meet."
-Radiohead, electioneering.
It's been an awesome day so far.
just voted at IS 88 at 544 7 Avenue. Please be aware that the 16th district machine is "broken" and people had to do paper ballot (stuffing in a cardboard box with a slit). the woman manning that desk was of no help when asked how to fill out the ballot to a person infront of me. they didn't even tell people waiting in that line "hey, by the way the machine is broken so get ready to fill out paperwork." i really wanted to punch her.
Voted at PS132 in Williamsburg. I wasn't in the books even though I had triple-checked via https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx and had my confirmation that I received in the mail with me. The line wasn't long though.
As far as taking time off work, the NY law states that you are allocated 4 consecutive hours to vote, and you're allowed to miss work with no effect on your pay for up to 2 hours. Read it on the election site. People's jobs shouldn't stop them from voting.
Does anyone from the Bronx, Staten Island, or Queen read this blog? Or do they just not vote?
There should be early voting in NY...
At Little Neck it's still 1955 as little old ladies in tennis shoes were checking signatures in books and filling out index cards. Time to get retinal scan attachments on iPods or blackberries. Bang zoom you've voted.
(I don't have either an ipod or a blackberry, but maybe they can do it with a walkman)
www.forgotten-ny.com
Yeah, I really want to give Big Brother my retinal scan.
Sadly, the NY system is the safest. There's a paper record, and affidavit ballots.
did the greenpoint glide at ps110 8:30-9:00.
oldies and coffee smell - here i am in the world's 12th largest city and it felt like mayberry. (except for the fact that i voted for a black man to be potus)
It only took about 20 minutes to get through the huge line in West Harlem - Amsterdam at 146th Street (a large line to vote this time in Harlem... now there's a shocker).
However, I wasn't in the registry -- despite the fact that when I moved, I updated everything and even called the Board of Elections to make sure everything was copacetic.
I was told I could vote on paper (we know how long it'll be before THAT vote is counted, if ever) or I could go to the State Courthouse on W. 125 and petition a judge for the right to vote in a booth like everyone else.
Being stubborn and all, I opted for the latter despite the considerable inconvenience. I was brought in to see a judge, who said I could now vote via paper ballot.
WTF??? why was I sent all the way down there when that was my option at the polling site!? Needless to say, I less than happy. I still went back up to my voting site and cast a paper ballot.
Still, I feel like I was disenfranchised today. I am so pissed.
Just voted at PS145 @ 1:15. Waited about an hour. One of the machines for District 58 appeared to malfunctioning but it was resolved quickly. I am grateful for the right to vote.
@JRod5417
While I don't look forward to waiting in a 2 hour line with throngs of Cobble Hillers later today, there usually is a great camaraderie in that polling location.
"Does anyone from the Bronx, Staten Island, or Queen read this blog? Or do they just not vote?"
thefacts - there were a whole bunch of us from different Astoria polling locations who posted this morning, but considering that this site focuses more on Manhattan and Brooklyn, are you really surprised that there are more posters from those locations? Or did you just want to insult us?
@Ronkonkoma- It wasn't too bad. The yummy bake sale and cheap coffee at PS 29 made the wait much easier.
just voted, ed 4
out in 5 mins, lines 6 people tops.
just voted, ed 4
out in 5 mins, lines 6 people tops.
Village was a bout an hour wait, depending on your district. A bit of a mess. It's pretty ramshackle. There should be some kind of standardized protocol and equipment. Hopefully President-elect-hopeful Obama pushes through sweeping election reform.
fyi, this is the rule for time off to vote:
"Employees who do not have 4 consecutive non-working hours between polls opening and closing, and who do not have "sufficient" non-working time to vote, are entitled to up to 2 hours paid leave to vote. Employees must request the leave between 2 and 10 days before Election Day. The employer can specify whether it be taken at beginning or end of shift. Employers must post this rule conspicuously 10 days prior to election."
via findlaw.com
Riverdale in the Bronx had no wait at 10 AM
Why does EVERYONE go to vote before work? Don't they know that the polls are open until 9pm in NY?
cuz if everyone went after work they'd be in line until midnight.
The St. Marge's Financial District station at Fulton St. mentioned in the post above: indeed, a HUGE line this morning. But at lunch time there was no wait at all. Either they figured out what was wrong, or everybody just had to vote before work, and couldn't wait until after.
next time vote at 2:30. That's the magic time. 1 minute flat. No line no nothing. just before school lets out it was awesome town.
I just heard from someone that at 4pm there was zero line at PS9 on West 84th Street for any district voting there.
Greenpoint District 97 on Eagle Street was like a zoo at 9am today. Waited for almost 30 minutes then came back at 2pm with no problems. They were counting voter cards over and over and kept re counting them before I could sign my name on the sheet.
A friend came to vote at 11:30am at the same location and reported this:
"As soon as i got inside two of the machines broke and it was MADNESS.
Ballots were flying everywhere some were ripped up
some were accidentally put into a trash container and people were flipping out."
I voted around 10am in Greenpoint, on Leonard Street. The time it took from leaving my house, getting a bagel, going to vote, and getting home took only 30 mins. My wait time actually in line to vote was about 5-10 minutes. Cake.
It's a shame knowing that people waited on such long lines to vote in an obviously blue state, yet completely over the referendum over on the lower right side of the ballot.
...yet completely overlooking the referendum...
Williamsburg district 38 about a half hour wait at 11am but that was cause there was one poll book and only three machines.
To think those voting machines have been in service since 1962 or maybe longer. They still get the job done.
Everyone knows the best time to vote is in the afternoon. The morning is always crowded because people want to vote before work or just to get it over with and not have to worry about it later in the day.
Now that we know (after the fact) that we have a right to either four consecutive hours free during poll times OR two paid hours off during the work day to go and vote, what are our options if we did not request this time beforehand? My employer did not inform me of this right, and I plan on working several extra hours today to make up the pay I lost while traveling and then standing in line. I suppose I am fortunate to even have the option to stay late, but I am not happy about doing it. I just figured it was what I needed to do to recoup.
FUCK ALL THE OBAMA CULT MEMBERS AND THEIR HOLLYWOOD BASE!
Hugo?
You sir, are an idiot.
It's gonna be close.
hugo, hugo, hugo... you are just pissed at the so called democracy in action. After the republicans abused of the popular mandate by ignoring the people, here are the consecuences.
I voted and had no problem. I waited in line for about 15 minutes.
Minimal wait, just four people ahead of me but my district has many older people and I can tell you they were waiting a while earlier today.
Went in, there was no one at my precinct table, got checked up, pulled my lever. Done in about 5 minutes! :)
>Why does EVERYONE go to vote before work? Don't they know >that the polls are open until 9pm in NY?
Exactly! Went in to my local polling place at 8:30pm, E 10th St NYU dorm, no line at all. In and out in under 5 minutes. woohoo.