Early voting got off to a seemingly slow start this weekend, with few lines at polling places in Manhattan on Sunday, and just under 5,700 New Yorkers casting ballots for the June 27 primary elections on opening day.
Early voting officially kicked off on June 17 and will continue through June 25 at poll sites across the Big Apple (except in Staten Island, where there are no primary elections this season). According to unofficial counts released by the city’s Board of Elections Saturday night, just 1,468 Manhattanites took advantage of early voting on day one. Meanwhile, Brooklyn saw 1,473, Queens saw 1,689 and the Bronx saw 983 ballots cast on day one.
On Sunday, June 18, there may as well have been tumble weeds passing through the East 25th Street Hunter College polling site. One voter speculated that the holiday weekend was to blame.
“It’s empty because it’s Father’s Day, so that’s probably why,” Marion Aaron, 80, told amNewYork Metro. Monday, June 19 is also a federal holiday: Juneteenth.
Aaron has lived in East Midtown Plaza for 40 years and says she wants to avoid long voting lines, so she makes sure to turn out for early voting. When she entered the Hunter College voting site, she said it was absolutely empty save for the poll site workers and security.
“I do my duty early,” Aaron said. “It’s so much easier to early vote.”
Aaron added that her City Council representative is Carlina Rivera, who is being challenged this primary election by community activist Allie Ryan. Aaron said she voted to give her current council member another term. “I adore her,” she said of Rivera. “I think she’s the best.”
Redistricting last year necessitated the new round of City Council elections this year. All 51 seats will be on the general election ballot this November, with the winners serving out the remaining two years of the current term. Despite this, Rivera’s is one of just four contentious Manhattan primaries this time around. In the heavily Democratic borough, the winners will likely cruise to election in November.
Sunday’s early voting numbers were not yet available by press time.
All regular polling places will be open for voting on Primary Day, Tuesday, June 27, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit vote.nyc to find your designated early voting or regular polling sites.
Additional reporting by Robert Pozarycki
