By Amanda Hoffmann
Outside the five boroughs of New York City, Nassau County has the largest number of registered voters in the state, some 900,000. According to William Biamonte, the county’s Democratic elections commissioner, the turnout in the last four presidential election cycles has been between 70 and 80 percent of registered voters, which would mean that 630,000 to 720,000 voters would pass through the doors of the county’s 400 polling locations from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
"We have about 25 people an hour voting on the lever machines," Biamonte explained. "If there are 25 people there or more, there will be a wait."
If 685,000 voters were evenly divided among voting locations, each would have to accommodate 1,700 voters in the 15 hours the polls are open. This would means that approximately 114 voters would cast ballots every hour at each polling site in the county.
The crowds at various polling locations, however, may vary widely. For example, Oceanside has approximately 20,000 registered voters, while Island Park has 4,000. Some polling places accommodate a single election district, while others service as many as nine, and the numbers of registered voters varies among the county's 1,179 districts. Polling places serving more than 900 voters are allotted multiple lever machines.
Each site will also be equipped with a ballot marking device, a tool for disabled voters that has contrast adjustment, zoom features and audio reading for those with impaired sight. The machine also has tactile controls to allow voters with mobility and reach issues to sip and puff on the device to navigate through the ballot without assistance.
"We are expecting a record turnout," Biamonte said. "People should make sure they verify their registration and polling place and allot themselves some time to come in and actually cast the ballot."
Biamonte said that polls are typically at their busiest between 7 and 10 a.m., as people stop in on their way to work. The lines pick up again in the evening, between 5 p.m. and closing at 9 p.m., when people are heading home from work.
"Voting is an important responsibility — allow yourself enough time," said Bob Brehm, deputy director of public information for the New York State Board of Elections. "If you select a non-peak time of day, that gives you a quicker experience."
First-time registered voters must have their identification verified before they can vote. Most are verified with a driver's license or Social Security number. The verification process can be completed online, at elections.state.ny.us, or in person at the polls, with a license, Social Security card, bank statement, utility bill, passport, government check or other government document that includes a name and address.
"One of the concerns we have is a large number of people that believe they are registered and are not registered and they go to the wrong place to vote," Biamonte said. "You can be [in the wrong] election district and be in the right polling place, that's a manageable problem. But to be in the wrong polling place and district isn't."
Problems typically occur when voters move, but don't update their registration. "You can't vote at the old polling place because you aren't entitled to vote for all the election choices from the district where you used to live anymore," Brehm said. "You are still a registered voter, but you get a paper ballot and affidavit envelope and all of the choices you are entitled to vote for. If you’re entitled to vote, it will count. If not, it will not count."
An affidavit ballot is not counted as part of the initial tally on Election Day. Afterward, the Board of Elections meets to research the affidavit ballots and determine if voters who submitted them were eligible to cast ballots. If the board deems a ballot eligible, it will be included in the final tally filed by the state on Dec. 1. If the voter is found to have been at the wrong polling place, the ballot will be tossed out.
Brehm said voters who don't want to use affidavit ballots can seek out a judge to get a court order allowing them to cast a vote on the lever machine.
“You have a right to go to a judge and make your case as to why you think you are entitled to vote," Brehm said. "If the judge thinks you are, you can get a court order and go vote on the machine right there."
Judges are available throughout the state and polling sites can provide detailed information, including times when judges will be available. Voters can also locate judges by calling 1-800-FOR-VOTE.
"My concern is a lot of the new young registered voters, especially younger people who are renters and move around," Biamonte said. Often voters don't update their address changes, and are left scrambling on Election Day, trying to figure out where to vote.
"The more people that have to fill out the paper affidavit ballots, the longer the lines will be," he added. "Because of the unique nature of the election and all the young people coming into it, I have more of a concern. We are literally going to have tens of thousands of new voters that have never voted before and have just registered."
Comments about this story? AHoffmann@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 269.
