Long lines as New Yorkers turn out for early voting

THOUSANDS OVERCOME DELAYS, CORONAVIRUS FEARS TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS

Thousands of New Yorkers flooded polling places and waited hours in long lines yesterday, the first day of early voting, with many saying that they turned out because of concerns that their ballots might not be counted if they tried to vote bymail.

Lines stretched for blocks outside polling sites, including Barclays Centre in Brooklyn and the Armory in Washington Heights, as election officials contended with malfunctioning electronic poll machines and tried to calm anxious voters.

The hurdles for voters and poll workers on the first day of voting reflected the challenges of a holding a contentious presidential election in the middle of a pandemic. But many people remained undeterred by the delays and the coronavirus.

The line for early voting at the Andrew Freedman House in the Bronx stretched down Grand Concourse and around the corner, halfway down East 166th Street.

The pandemic was on the minds of most of the people. Many wore facemasks, and some of them even had on gloves. They tried to spread out at least six feet apart, but it was difficult to maintain social distancing in the more narrow parts of the street.

The nine days of early voting were expected to drawa record voter turnout. Around 3.3 million people out of 4.7 million active New York City voters are expected to vote bymail or in person.

‘ Reward outweighed risk’

Bryan Washington, 60, said the reward of casting his vote early outweighed the risk of contagion.

“I am one of the ones that truly believes this is one of the most important elections we ever had,” Washington said. “I truly believe this is an election for the soul of the country.”

This is the first presidential election during which New Yorkers are allowed to cast ballots early. The state Legislature approved

early voting after Democrats took control, making New York one of the last states to adopt it.

Minor glitches

Sarah Steiner, a New York election attorney, said that it was not unusual to hear reports of long lines and other problems during thefirst day of earlyvoting.

Throughout the day, photos on social media showed New Yorkers descending upon polling site. Those images were signs of a better- than- expected turnout, Steiner said. “There’s always a couple of glitches. This is anevent for a lot of people, and it is a wonderful sign of civic engagement,” Steiner said.

Early- voting lines tend to decrease after the first day, so voters should expect shorter waits.

Voters will have until November 1 to cast their early ballots. The nine- day early- voting period is aimed at increasing voter participation bymaking voting more convenient.

New York Times Voterswait in line, at the Barclays Centre in NewYork, on the first day of early voting in the state. The pandemicwas on the minds ofmost people. Manywore facemasks.

AP Staff at a Pizza to the Polls food truck distribute free food and snacks to NewYorkers waiting in line to cast their vote.

New York Timest Voters cast their ballots at a polling station at the Resorts World Casino in NewYork City.

New York Times Voters queue to cast their ballots at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday — the first day of early voting in NewYork.