The Board of Elections (BOE) was met with local disapproval after announcing the removal of the Scheuer House of Bayside and the Le Havre co-op development in Whitestone as voting sites for upcoming and future general elections.
Both sites are being removed because inspections have determined that the angle of the slopes along their entranceways were not compliant with the requirements outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the BOE.
Those who normally voted at the Scheuer House of Bayside will now have to vote at Bayside High School, and those from Le Havre will have to travel to P.S. 193.
Councilman Paul Vallone opposed the move, saying it will force many seniors to commute further away to vote.
“Hundreds of our seniors depend on these voting sites due to their accessibility and proximity to where they live,” said Councilman Vallone, who serves as the City Council chair of the Subcommittee on Senior Centers and has requested that the sites be allowed to operate while they become ADA compliant.
“It’s very upsetting to see our seniors continue to be nickeled and dimed by the city instead of receiving the resources they deserve.”
Margaret Costello, manager of the Le Havre Owners Corporation, thanked Councilman Vallone for addressing this issue and said she hoped that this site can remain open for voting.
“The Board of Elections’ decision to remove Le Havre as a polling site is going to place an undue burden on many of our community’s seniors,” Costello said.
