As early voting season approaches, the Nassau County Board of Elections has prepared itself to facilitate a safe, efficient voting process this year.
In January, the Elmont Memorial Library Board voted to discontinue early voting at the library after electioneering efforts during 2023 early voting in the parking lot created an unsafe environment for patrons. The board reinstated early voting at the library in February after community members voiced their concerns about the discontinuation of the library as a polling site.
James Scheuerman, Democratic Commissioner for the Nassau County Board of Elections, takes safety as the utmost important facet of the voting process. After the controversy at the Elmont Memorial Library last year, the state’s elections board sent out more information to local elections board about how to treat poll watchers reiterating existing information.
“The issue we had in Elmont was more of an anomaly and folks abusing the system, rather than a lack of oversight or training on our part,” he said. “It’s kind of one of those ‘a few bad apples spoils the bunch’ type of thing.”
Scheuerman said the elections board has increased training for inspectors of how to deal with poll watchers and spoke with the Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Patrick Ryder about how to effectively coordinate quick reactions to concerns as they pop up.
“I think that we have taken every step to train our employees with the information of how to deal with them and what they’re allowed to do,” Scheuerman said. “It is my hope that the political parties, on both sides, respect the voters’ rights and integrity and don’t try to infringe on that.”
Voting by the numbers:
With an expected increase in voter turnout during presidential election years, the elections board increases the amount of poll inspectors to open more tables at polling sites.
Scheuerman also said that there will be election monitors from Attorney General Letitia James’ Office to keep an eye out for instances of electioneering. This is a result of not only the controversy at the Elmont Memorial Library, but also of concerns that were raised in Great Neck and Massapequa, according to Scheuerman.
The attorney general also offers an Election Protection Hotline to help answer voting questions at (866) 390-2992.
“We’ve seen that every election we have more people taking advantage of early voting,” Scheuerman said. Many voters have also taken advantage of vote by mail, which alleviates pressure on polling sites on Election Day.
Absentee ballots will be counted ahead of Election Day, Scheuerman said. At 9:01 p.m. on Election Day, the results for all votes cast early or by mail will be released to the public.
“With early vote by mail, shortest line you’re going to have is at your kitchen table,” Scheuerman said. “So request a ballot, and you have plenty of time to vote it and get it back in without a stamp. It can’t be any easier.”