By Patrick Donachie
Long lines awaited voters at Andrew Jackson High School in Cambria Heights Tuesday as election workers struggled hard to manage high turnout and issues with ballot scanners.
It appeared that five ballot scanners out of seven had technical difficulties, with a coordinator at the site saying the high volume of ballots due to turnout had caused problems. She said she had never seen turnout this strong before, even at the opening of the polls at 6 a.m.
“There were lines outside all around the block. It’s been like that since the start,” she said. The coordinators had called the city Board of Elections, which she said were sending technicians. She said turnout exceeded past presidential elections.
One voter said he had been waiting an hour, and Luther Lawton left before voting, saying he would return later in the day. He was frustrated by the wait.
“You’re going to have old people waiting in line all day,” he said.
Another voter said he had not seen such long lines before and said he had heard several nearby polling places were no longer in use, making Andrew Jackson a busier polling site. As he left, he urged people waiting in the lines to vote.
“Don’t let it deter you!” he said. “Get out and vote!”
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Patrick Donachie
TimesLedger reporter
