Election Day -- The Board of Elections Response

     In a Daily News item by Celeste Katz After Sandy New York officials rush to patch together an election   there is mention of just how things may go on Election day even if there is no power at many poll sites in the outer boroughs.

     “We’ll just have to make do. And it won’t be perfect, but we’re going to have an election,” said Douglas Kellner, Democratic co-chair of the state Board of Elections. “A democracy calls for sacrifice from time to time, and this is one of those occasions” Kellner added.

    

   J.C. Polanco, the Bronx GOP commissioner for the city BOE, said that officials were considering consolidating about 40 poll sites serving residents of hard-hit Breezy Point and the Rockaways in parking lots at Aqueduct Raceway, Jacob Riis Park and Floyd Bennett Field, setting up tents with generators. Meanwhile, Staten Islanders may end up seeing sites consolidated at the Armory.

    There is also mention of having mobil poll sites, and battery operated voting machine which would be required in areas that still would not have power. Then there mention Gov. Cuomo is also considering issuing an emergency proclamation to let people who reside in areas affected by the killer storm to vote by absentee ballot even if they’re in town. 

    We will have to wait and see what happens on Tuesday November 6th to make sure that people who are already disenfranchised by Hurricane Sandy do not get disenfranchised again when it comes to vote.

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