Politics & Government

Patch Readers: Election Polls Busy But Lines Move Quick

Like gas lines, the polls are busy but unlike gas lines they're moving quick.

The one thing Hurricane Sandy hasn’t done to local communities is stop residents from participating in today’s election process with Patch readers reporting lines moved quickly and voting traffic has been steady.

Stacey Kahn Zelinski, who voted at Sunrise Elementary around 2 p.m., said she was in and out in five minutes. “It was not crowded but a steady flow of people and no wait,” she wrote on Patch’s Facebook page.

“Neither hell nor high water would prevent me from voting. I did discover that my voting place was changed, and we were redirected to the high school. No mob scene,”wrote Robin Cogswell-Graf.

Find out what's happening in Sayville-Bayportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Victoria Giardini, who voted at a high school, reported no line but a constant flow of voters. She wrote she was grateful New York State allowed affidavits in order to vote at a different polling place.

“My sister would not have been able to vote had he [Cuomo] not allowed it,” she posted via her phone earlier this evening.

Find out what's happening in Sayville-Bayportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Tony Chliek voted at the Bayport-Blue Point high school and experienced little wait. “I was in and out in less than 10 minutes,” he wrote.

And where there were lines, voters were patient, reported Karen A McCarthy, who voted about 4 p.m. at Sunrise Drive in Sayville.

“There was a line but the workers were very helpful trying to move people inside and get them to the correct place. Also they were the polling place for part of Holbrook,” she shared.

The quick lines worked well for Christine Wendel Tedesco who voted at Bosti Elementary in Sayville and was in and out in 20 minutes.

“Which was good cause I had my two-year-old in tow. She had a great time coloring in the dots on the paper ballot lol,” she said, noting she was joking.

Voting was handled very organized, reported  Kathy Chance Copping, who cast her ballot at the Bayport-Blue Point Library.

The local election process, as most readers reported, was very much the opposite of the gas line scenarios residents have been dealing with since the storm.

"In and out, no lines,” wrote Kimberly Sidden Reiss.

Yet some polling places did have something in common with gas stations selling petrol.

“It was very busy,” said Bayport resident Thomas Niblock who voted at the high school.


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