NYC-WTC_000230619

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

r 1 Poll Turnout Sees Highs, Lows By Stephanie Saul the Manhattan Democrat on the Board of Elections, neighborhood, as well as in College Point, Fresh STA^’^'WRITER “Everywhere Vvc gone ID Harlem and Washington Meadows and Little Neck, according to Evan _ ,, Heights, there are long lines, even in the middle of Stavisky, a political consultant. Hindered by light ram and heavy traffic problems the afternoon.” With the soaring popularity of Mayor Rudolph throughout the city, ew or ers neve eless Queens, turnout appeared to be slightly lower Giuliani, a small percentage of voters cast write-in marched m a steady and mostly orderly procession ^^^^s ago in most neighborhoods. ballots, apparently,n a show of support for the outgo- to polling places in yesterday’s citywide prima^^^ . At Public School 101 on Russell Place in Forest ing mayr^^ '±1 1J 1 election obseiwers said the turnout Hills, for example, poll workers said turnout was Stephen Weiner, the Queens Republican elections PI would be lower than the.800,000 votem expected in about 10 percent'behind the pace of that seen on board member, said the number of write-ins varied cho aborted Sept. 11 primary — and turnout ap- Sept. 11, when polls were open for three hours. from poll site to poll site. “Obviously, it’s a minority,” peared to be depressed in areas especially affected -j think the delay and no politicking,” said poll co- he said. D by the World Trade Center attacks there was in- ordinator Harriette Netburn, citing her theories for Kellner estimated that Giuliani would capture 1 tense political interest in some neighborhoods. the quiet day. “And everything that’s happened.” percent to 2 percent of the vote. In Washington Heights and Harlem, for example, Outside, politicians handed out little stickers that Low turnout in some areas of the city could compli- fiercely fought races for open Council seats boosted read, “9-11-2001. We will never forget.” the crowds at polls. cate the count. As many as 10 candidates are vying If the World Trade Center attacks had dampened for the Democratic nominations in some open Couh- £ S' “My impression is that the turnout is much heavi-. voter interest in Forest Hills, vigorous turnout was' T. Tt-------- yrr------- ;—r---------- m er uptown than downtown,” said Douglas Kellner, reported in Astoria, mayoral hopeful'Peter Vallone’s thinnes^oVm^^ns”^^ elections could turn on the 53' With a count of the paper ballots expected to begin Friday morning, a dispute continues between the Board of Elections and the mayoral candidates over s how those ballots should be counted. ' The agency appealed a Sept. 10 order by Queens 2^ Supreme Court Justice Steven Fisher, who ruled ' that judges — not elections inspectors — should de­ cide which affidavit ballots to open and count. An appellate court hearing is scheduled for today in Brooklyn in that case.

Q While the Board of Elections was plagued by ma­ chine breakdowns and other polling place failures in last November’s general election, yesterday’s prima- £ h| , ry drew fewer complaints. In Manhattan, as many as 40 machines had bro­ 1*^ ken down before 10 a.m., but most were quickly re­ paired by mechanics dispatched to the scene. GJ

s “I think they’re heroes for being able to do this in such a short time,” said Gene Russianoflf of the New .8 o York Public Interest Group. Call volume was low to NYPIRG’s voter complaint hotline. Elections experts had feared poll workers wouldn’t § o o o show for the hastily rescheduled election, but most I did. An exception was at the Jacob Riis Houses on East o 6th Street, where police had to break down the doors because a worker didn't appear to open the polls, ac­ CO cording to Frederic Umane; the Manhattan Republi­ GJ can on the elections board. O Other complaints, once again, involved transla­ tors. In the hotly contested 20th Council district in Flushing, about 30 Korean-American voters left poll­ CO ing places without casting ballots. In some cases, there were no translators available ' to help them, according to.the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

NYC-WTC_000230619