By TimesLedger Staff
The TimesLedger Newspapers is covering the races for governor, seats in the state Legislature and Congress in the general election.
Maloney speaks out about campaign in Astoria
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney strolled along Broadway in Astoria looking for a restaurant that could accommodate her staff and Councilman Costa Constantine for lunch. She stopped to discuss her campaign against the Republican upstart Nick DiIorio. She said it was not the most contentious campaign she’s been through in her 21 years in Congress.
“The problem these days is anyone can say anything they like and aren’t held accontable,” she said. “He said I was the worst legislator in Congress when I worked for eight years on the Zamora Act, I got the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights that saves consumers $20 to $30 billion a year. You can say a lot of things about me, but you can’t say I don’t work hard for New Yorkers.”
—Bill Parry
Forest Hills voters say they enjoy criticizing victors
At PS 144 in Forest Hills, poll workers said turnout has been steady and the site has a proud history of relatively high turnout. Site coordinator Catherine Hennessey said 585 had voted by 1 p.m. Of the three people interviewed none seemed interested in the state Senate race between Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) and Republican Michael Conigliaro. They were all regular voters who said they come out, in part, so they can complain about whoever winds up in office.
—Sarina Trangle
Voters have a big morning at New York Irish Center
It would seem that the New York Irish Center in Long Island City would a quiet outpost for voters. At 1 pm Tuesday there were more campaign workers than those casting ballots, but that wasn’t the case this morning.
“We had over 150 vote this morning,” Coordinator Ianthe Francis said. “That’s the biggest morning in the three years I’ve worked here. “I’m quite sure the gubernatorial race had everything to do with it.”
Francis added that the Irish Center is convenient for the folks who live in the southern part of Hunters Point.
“All the schools are by the waterfront,” he said. “That’s too far a walk for most people around here.”
—Bill Parry
Early turnout surprisingly strong in Bay Terrace
About a dozen people were waiting for the polls to open at PS 169 in Bay Terrace.
Once inside, a voter was complaining about “how complicated the ballot” was.
By 10 a.m., about 425 people had cast their ballots. The number was “unexpectedly” high, said a poll worker.
He pointed out that on Primary Day Sept. 9, only about 850 people had voted during the whole day.
A little over an hour later, the number of votes cast was above 600.
Susan Weltam said she voted for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but on the Working Families Party line. He is facing Republican Rob Astorino.
“You just have to vote,” she said.
“[Gov.] Cuomo is horrible,” said another voter. “We need to get him out.”
One voter seem confused when she was looking at the ballot.ß
“I want to vote for my candidates, but I don’t see the Women’s Equality Party line,” she said.
—Reporter Juan Soto
Voters aided by language translators at PS 69 in Jackson Heights
PS 69 in Jackson Heights is one of the biggest voting precincts in Queens featuring translators in Spanish, Bengali, Hindu and Russian among other languages. Coordinator James Kirsch said that more than 4,000 used the venue to vote in the last presidential election.
“I guess we’re on a pace for about half that this year,” he said. “We’ve had about 400 vote by 11 a.m.,” he said.
He said he had only had a couple of paper jams in the ballot scanners this morning.
“The Board of Elections had technicians out here immediately so there’s been no delays for our voters,” Kirsch said. “It’s been a pretty steady stream today.”
— Reporter Bill Parry
Propositions perplex voter at Flushing Manor
Voters kept coming through the doors of PS184 in Flushing Manor Tuesday morning.
More than 760 voters had cast ballots at the site by 12:45, according to poll workers.
Jeannie Sokolich, of Whitestone, voted for GOP gubernatorial contender Rob Astorino as well as all the other Republican candidates on the ballot.
“We need a big change,” she said. “We’re in a lot of trouble and we need Republicans back in the Senate.”
Shari Pappalardo, a Democratic voter, was perplexed by the first two propositions on the ballot and voted against them.
“The wording of those proposals gave me such a headache,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I understood them and didn’t feel I knew enough about them.”
—-Reporter Alex Robinson
