News Clips

There was plenty of blame to go around for the outbreak of voting machine breakdowns and long delays that plagued New York City polling places on Election Day, but no one was certain of a precise solution — only that one was needed fast.

In the midterm election, 38 million Americans in 37 states voted early. None of them were in New York. Instead, eager New Yorkers turned out in record numbers only to wait in long lines, in the rain, sometimes for hours at a time.

Across the country, millions of voters have been casting ballots early, surpassing expectations set by previous low turnout midterms and pointing to the possible existence of a very real Blue Wave—or maybe not. While it's probably still too early to know what any of this means, there are definitely some encouraging signs of bubbling civic excitement: In 26 states, more people have already voted than in the entirety of the 2014 midterms; despite blatant voter suppression attempts in Georgia, residents are smashing previous midterm early voting records; and young voters under 30 are casting ballots at unforeseen rates and gaining ground on the significant participation advantage held by older voters.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has expanded a program that puts more translators at polling places across the city, but good government groups fear they won't be able to connect with voters. That's because the city's Board of Election is requiring them to set up more than 100 feet away.

The midterm elections are about a week away, but millions of people have already voted: More than half of states offer early voting in-person or by mail. New York is not one of them.

Asked what part of state election law needs the most tweaking, Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a not-for-profit that focuses on voting rights, said, “It’s hard to pick just one.” Lerner told the Herald Gazette that the Nassau County Board of Elections is particularly troublesome. “Nassau is one of the problem counties,” she said. Lerner described the county board as “patronage driven,” referring to almost 20 positions on it that are filled by people — Republicans and Democrats — whose relatives hold powerful positions in the county and the various municipalities under its umbrella.