QUESTION
What is being done to address the challenges of early voting in schools?
4:12:50
·
4 min
The NYC Board of Elections acknowledges the difficulties faced with utilizing schools as early voting sites and is actively seeking alternative solutions.
- Approximately 700 out of 1200 election day sites and 60 out of 140 early voting sites are in schools.
- Schools often require diesel generators to ensure proper equipment operation, posing additional challenges.
- The Board of Elections is constantly exploring new sites and considering factors such as centrally located facilities.
- Efforts have been made to find alternative locations with better accessibility, such as those directly connected to gymnasiums or with external entrances.
Gale A. Brewer
4:12:50
The early voting.
4:12:51
The problem I did I did write a letter recently is the schools.
4:12:57
So I don't know how many of the 143 are schools, and, well, I've got all my schools complaining because it's the gym or the cafeteria or something.
4:13:05
So how is that something that you're looking at to try to have less schools?
4:13:10
Of course, no schools would be great in Manhattan because they don't have outdoor space perhaps like other boroughs, but it's a big problem.
4:13:17
So what how are we addressing the early voting in the schools?
4:13:20
I was the election day is not a problem because at least for November, there's no school.
4:13:25
I'm married.
4:13:26
There's they still complain about that too.
4:13:28
Schools?
Michael J.Ryan
4:13:29
It's a it's a difficult it it really is difficult for us.
4:13:34
We are certainly eyes and ears and hearts open for any alternative suggestions other than than what we're doing now for election day.
4:13:44
It's roughly you know, it's about 700 out of 1200 if you, you know, it changes from time to time.
4:13:52
And for early voting, it's in the sixties out of the 140.
4:13:57
Mhmm.
4:13:58
The problem that we have not only with the schools but more so with the schools as well, is, in addition to that, we're imposing often on the schools we have 61 sites out of a 143 present sites where we have to have diesel generators.
4:14:17
So talk about going green.
4:14:18
We have to have diesel generators to provide auxiliary power to make sure that the equipment is all running properly.
4:14:28
Another level layer of analysis that we would have to do if we can if we move to a different type of of of machine.
4:14:35
So so the answer is, We're never letting the grass go under our feet with respect to election day sites or with respect to early voting sites.
4:14:44
The problem that we have is where.
4:14:47
And the other problem is for a lot of neighborhoods in New York City, the schools are the most centrally located facility.
Vincent Ignizio
4:14:56
We need more sites.
Michael J.Ryan
4:14:57
Right.
4:14:57
Who lives?
Gale A. Brewer
4:14:57
Yeah.
4:14:58
Well, I I will I'm just saying it In fact, you know, as parents, you know, it's a lot of concerns.
Michael J.Ryan
4:15:02
Right.
4:15:03
And, you know, I gotta tell you, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna name the location, but it's a it's a location that's near and dear to mine and and Mister Ignizio's heart.
4:15:12
He came in and said, what about this location?
4:15:14
And I said, I've rode that area.
4:15:18
I've gone around.
4:15:18
It happens to be my early voting site.
4:15:20
So it'll give you a little clue.
4:15:22
And I said, but then you're welcome to go look.
4:15:25
And he went around the neighborhood and looked everywhere.
4:15:28
And in that particular area.
4:15:30
You know, in that particular area, we have 2 choices.
4:15:32
1, the junior high school, 1, 2, the elementary
Gale A. Brewer
4:15:36
school.
4:15:36
Right.
Michael J.Ryan
4:15:37
We went with the elementary school because the elementary school has an external entrance into the building.
Lincoln Restler
4:15:44
So
Michael J.Ryan
4:15:44
you can go directly into the gymnasium from outside
Gale A. Brewer
4:15:47
in there.
Michael J.Ryan
4:15:47
And where the junior high school is, you gotta walk three quarters of the way down a whole way deep into the building to get to the gymnasium.
4:15:53
Mhmm.
4:15:54
These are the struggles that we we go.
Gale A. Brewer
4:15:56
We're not even in the situation that I'm talking about, there aren't it's not even an entrance.
4:16:00
It's just the lack of a gym or cafeteria.
Michael J.Ryan
4:16:03
Right.
Gale A. Brewer
4:16:03
And it's causing havoc.
4:16:04
So, anyway, we'll keep talking about it.
4:16:06
But I will look I am looking for other sites as well.
Michael J.Ryan
4:16:09
And and, you know, and I'm not saying this to be it'd be funny at all.
4:16:13
We're not adverse to road trips.
4:16:15
I mean, I'm happy to get out of the office once in a while.
Gale A. Brewer
4:16:17
You know what?
4:16:18
I know my I know that tomorrow and
Michael J.Ryan
4:16:20
So if there's something that you you you or anyone else needs to show us.
4:16:24
We're more than happy to come out as long as it's not,
Gale A. Brewer
4:16:26
you know, election all these buildings that get the J Fifty 1 the 421A, we were trying to say, listen, you have gotten a nice big tax abatement.
4:16:35
You know, you should allow some for voting, but that didn't seem to work either.
4:16:40
So I know we're all on different we're trying different paths.
Michael J.Ryan
4:16:43
Right.
4:16:44
It has worked for some facilities like some of the more resistant cultural facilities in Manhattan have started to come around.
Gale A. Brewer
4:16:50
No.
4:16:51
Those are
Michael J.Ryan
4:16:51
in that regard, and that's helpful.