By AMANDA HOFFMANN
"We had people in line at 20 minutes to 6 a.m. The turnout has been phenomenal for us," said the local Board of Elections poll chairman, Mike Stanley, at the Oceanside High School polling site.
Stanley reckoned that more than 50 percent of the polling site's estimated 3,000 registered voters had already cast their ballots by a little after 6 p.m. on Nov. 4.
"We are over 50 percent already, it's unprecedented," Stanley said.
Poll worker Jim Taylor said he hasn't seen a turn out this huge in the last few years that he's worked the polls.
"I've never seen a turnout like this. The number of voters is tremendous," Taylor said. "Normally, 25 percent of people in my district show. I'd say about 65 percent showed and that number is going to climb in the next three hours before we close."
Voters that were in line by the close of the polls at 9 p.m. were allowed to cast their ballots. However, no additional voters could enter the line.
"Anybody on line is allowed to vote," Stanley said, "We don't close the polls in front of anybody's face who is standing in line when 9 p.m. hits."
The high school gymnasium was bustling as voters stopped in on their way home from work and after dinner, lining up to sign in at their districts.
Oceanside voters like Joe and Eti Azrolan said they didn't have any problems finding their names in the polling books and the experience was quick and easy.
"Voting is the American way," said Eti Azrolan. "You have to get out and vote, it's your duty."
Another Oceanside voter, Irene Tsiavos, said she didn't run into any problems, but she wasn't too crazy about the lever machines.
"There's no way to know if you missed a column. There's no light at the top to let you know if you haven't selected a candidate for one of the races," Tsiavos said. "I would have preferred a paper ballot."
The lever machines are a little bit complicated, said one first-time voter, Sheryl Wissenback. "I wasn't sure if I did it right," she said.
Despite the record turnout and some complications-voters didn't know how to close the curtains in the booth (by pulling the lever) , the lines moved quickly.
But in both Oceanside and Island Park, one line was empty.
By 6:30 p.m., not a single voter had stepped in line for the ballot marking device, a special machine that allows disabled voters to navigate through the ballot without assistance.
"Nobody voted on the ballot marking device yet," said poll worker Eileen Goehringer, who was standing by the device's table. "We approached somebody earlier who said, 'No,' and chose to use the lever machine."
The ballot marking device, which is equipped with tactile controls, auto zoom and audio components, was required at each of Nassau County's 400 polling sites as part of the Help America Vote Act.
When the ballot marking devices were tested earlier this year, many appeared to have problems and there was speculation they would not operate properly on Election Day.
"The machine is working fine," said Island Park poll worker Bernard Langdon, who was stationed at the conference center, which was formerly the library building. "No one has used it in this district as of today, but we still have a few more hours to go."
Voters didn't really have much of a line in Island Park around 5 p.m.
"So far, no problems," said Rosemary Ripi, who was working the polls in Island Park. "It went very smoothly."
"Everyone seemed orderly," said voter Jennifer Rosen. "There was only one person in front of me and I didn't have a wait."
Outside the building, Bernadetta Sinnona was rushing back to Lincoln Orens, where she had earlier been turned away from the polls and advised to head to the conference center.
"They can't find my name here," she said. "Maybe it's a misunderstanding. We'll try one more time at Lincoln Orens."
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