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Voting Problems Prompt Comptroller to Vow Audit of New York City’s Elections Board Voting Problems Prompt Comptroller to Vow Audit of New York City’s Elections Board
(about 1 hour later)
Citing concerns about potential voting irregularities during the most consequential presidential primary in years, the New York City comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, said on Tuesday that his office would audit the city’s Board of Elections in part to determine if tens of thousands of Democratic voters were improperly removed from voter rolls.Citing concerns about potential voting irregularities during the most consequential presidential primary in years, the New York City comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, said on Tuesday that his office would audit the city’s Board of Elections in part to determine if tens of thousands of Democratic voters were improperly removed from voter rolls.
Mr. Stringer said in a statement that the Board of Elections had confirmed that more than 125,000 Democratic voters in Brooklyn were dropped between November 2015 and this month. He said the decline occurred “without any adequate explanation furnished by the Board of Elections.”Mr. Stringer said in a statement that the Board of Elections had confirmed that more than 125,000 Democratic voters in Brooklyn were dropped between November 2015 and this month. He said the decline occurred “without any adequate explanation furnished by the Board of Elections.”
“There is nothing more sacred in our nation than the right to vote, yet election after election, reports come in of people who were inexplicably purged from the polls, told to vote at the wrong location or unable to get in to their polling site,” Mr. Stringer said. “There is nothing more sacred in our nation than the right to vote, yet election after election, reports come in of people who were inexplicably purged from the polls, told to vote at the wrong location or unable to get in to their polling site,” Mr. Stringer, a Democrat, said.
On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat, echoed Mr. Stringer, noting that voters and voting rights monitors had reported the “purging of entire buildings and blocks of voters from the voting lists.” On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio, also a Democrat, echoed Mr. Stringer, noting that voters and voting rights monitors had reported the “purging of entire buildings and blocks of voters from the voting lists.”
“The perception that numerous voters may have been disenfranchised undermines the integrity of the entire electoral process and must be fixed,” the mayor said in a statement.“The perception that numerous voters may have been disenfranchised undermines the integrity of the entire electoral process and must be fixed,” the mayor said in a statement.
Michael J. Ryan, the executive director of the elections board, said that while approximately 125,000 were removed from voter rolls in Brooklyn since the fall, some 63,000 people were added. He said the decline did not “shock my conscience” because there were 800,000 registered Democrats in Brooklyn, and thousands of people were added and removed from the list every year.Michael J. Ryan, the executive director of the elections board, said that while approximately 125,000 were removed from voter rolls in Brooklyn since the fall, some 63,000 people were added. He said the decline did not “shock my conscience” because there were 800,000 registered Democrats in Brooklyn, and thousands of people were added and removed from the list every year.
There was a “report a couple years ago that said there were people on the lists who didn’t belong there,” Mr. Ryan said on Tuesday.There was a “report a couple years ago that said there were people on the lists who didn’t belong there,” Mr. Ryan said on Tuesday.
“Now we take people off the list who don’t belong there,” he continued, “and there’s some blowback, criticism that we’ve done it inaccurately.”“Now we take people off the list who don’t belong there,” he continued, “and there’s some blowback, criticism that we’ve done it inaccurately.”
The drop in registered Democrats was first reported by WNYC.The drop in registered Democrats was first reported by WNYC.
Other issues also surfaced that blocked New Yorkers from voting. When Karishma Desai, a graduate student, arrived at her polling place around 7:30 a.m., she found it closed, an hour and a half after the polls were scheduled to open.Other issues also surfaced that blocked New Yorkers from voting. When Karishma Desai, a graduate student, arrived at her polling place around 7:30 a.m., she found it closed, an hour and a half after the polls were scheduled to open.
“I was already late to work,” she said, so she left without casting a ballot.“I was already late to work,” she said, so she left without casting a ballot.
Mr. Ryan said the polling site coordinator failed to show up at Ms. Desai’s polling place, the Atlantic Terminal Senior Citizens Center in Brooklyn. Additional staff members were called in, and the polling site was open and functioning smoothly by midmorning, he said. Mr. Ryan said the polling site coordinator failed to show up at Ms. Desai’s polling place, the Atlantic Terminal Senior Citizens Center in Brooklyn. Additional staff members were called in, he said, and it was open and functioning smoothly by midmorning.
He also said “an army of technicians” was dispatched around the city to address technical problems with some voting machines.He also said “an army of technicians” was dispatched around the city to address technical problems with some voting machines.
He said that the issues on Tuesday were typical for an Election Day, but that the importance of this primary made the spotlight more intense.He said that the issues on Tuesday were typical for an Election Day, but that the importance of this primary made the spotlight more intense.
“We’re not seeing anything that is so wildly out of the ordinary as to cause me to be tremendously concerned that there are widespread problems, because there certainly are not,” Mr. Ryan said. “We understand that the eyes and ears of the world are truly on New York City today, and it’s understandable.”“We’re not seeing anything that is so wildly out of the ordinary as to cause me to be tremendously concerned that there are widespread problems, because there certainly are not,” Mr. Ryan said. “We understand that the eyes and ears of the world are truly on New York City today, and it’s understandable.”
Ms. Desai, a Democrat, returned to her polling place on Tuesday afternoon and was able to vote. She said she voted for Senator Bernie Sanders.Ms. Desai, a Democrat, returned to her polling place on Tuesday afternoon and was able to vote. She said she voted for Senator Bernie Sanders.