Polls — Blog — The New Paltz Voice

I arrived at the polls at 11:53 a.m. expecting to see lines for miles, but only one person is standing outside. If I hadn't been dreading this day for the past few months, I would have thought that perhaps today wasn't election day. I decided to wait a few minutes, it's around the time for most people to each lunch. A few people walk into the building but a line never builds up. For context, this polling location is located in Marlboro Housing in Gravesend, with most of the residents being elderly.

Eventually, I struck out a conversation with the person outside the polling building, turns out he's a poll worker. His name is Jeff, and he's been standing outside since the polls opened at 6 a.m. When asked why there wasn't a line he told me I missed it for a few hours. "About 50 plus for the first three to four hours, and then it got a little bit smaller now there's not much of a line with midday but early on there was a lot more."

Jeff C waiting outside the Marlboro Housing polling station

According to Jeff, most voters arrived wearing masks but the few that didn't were provided masks to enter the polling station. Signs were taped along the railings and walls about the safety precautions placed to protect the voters. The crowd reception was relatively peaceful so Jeff didn't have any problems guiding people into the building. "Everybody's had really good attitudes about waiting if they have to wait. Everybody's just kind of happy to be here and to be able to put in a ballot."

Each polling place is expected to have serves that accommodate voters who may have difficulty communicating. Translators were available for residents to have an easier time representing themselves.

Before I left I got to meet with one of the residents Ron. He's been voting for the past 20 years in the Marlboro community. Ron has been voting longer than most newly registered voters have been alive. For the people hesitating, these are the words he wanted to share. "Everybody, please make your vote count because this is the only time that we're going to have a new president, or we cry for saying you know who up there, but vote today. Make your vote count. It could be history right there and then by your vote, so go out and go right now today."

Every vote matters, some states are won by a thousand, 10 thousand votes. Be that extra vote that tips the scales towards the future you want to live in.