Tumbleweeds Outnumber Voters in Today's Primary Runoff

If you're like most of us, you so totally meant to vote in today's primary run-off (especially since you're paying through the nose for it). But you're definitely going to vote after work tonight, in between the million other friggin' errands on your list. Well, hopefully somebody finds the time, because it's lonely out there for a poll worker today. Coordinator Joseph Lawrence is trying to put on a brave face, telling City Room turnout was "better than I expected: maybe 4 percent instead of 2 percent." But at most poll sites "there’s nothing to do, the time just drifts by." Old man river... And at PS 163 on the Upper West Side, at least one poll worker had to be awakened when a voter shockingly appeared to participate in the democratic process.

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By John Del Signore in News on September 29, 2009 3:20 PM

Comments [rss]

Snoopy

I stocked up on popcorn and Budweiser and I will stay up late to follow the results. Life doesn't get more exciting than this.

brandonz

I was the first one at my polling site this morning... an hour after polls opened. I practically shocked the poll workers out of their daze by walking in.

paulie

A post about a bicyclist getting in an argument with a tourist would get 100x more comments than this. sadface.

I wonder how pols budget for this stuff? And Yom Kippur must not have helped.

Snoopy

If we return to the old days where only male white landowners were allowed to vote, perhaps the percentages would change.

Gregoire

At least I know my vote counted. It appears that I individually am a sizable percentage of the electorate. Mark Green and Bill de Blasio should have fought harder for my vote, maybe taken me out to dinner.

zodak

"if you're going to woo me, buy me my own dinner"

-pete campbell

drewo

That $15 million could have kept some people employed, maintained some city services or simply gone to something that would benefit New Yorkers.

But not this. And of course, our elected officials, who profit from this kind of racket, are silent on the issue.

dr zippy

How are elected officials profiting "from this kind of racket"? How do you propose choosing the winner without an election?

LICguy

I'm not sure how they are profiting from it, but they do get matching tax dollars for their campaign. One way to limit the need for this would be to lower the threshold needed in the initial primary that a candidate needs before a runoff is automatically triggered. I realize the NYC primaries become a little more important since whichever democrat wins is a virtual shoe-in for the general election, but there must be a better way.