Nassau County Voters See Some Problems, Mostly Smooth Sailing

HICKSVILLE, NY — The votes have been cast in Nassau County, and while most people reported smooth sailing at the polls Tuesday, some experienced problems, including one who was told to put his ballot in a locked box due to a broken scanner and another who was initially told he couldn't vote because of his hat.

Across Long Island, voters told Patch they experienced few, if any headaches. After historic early voting turnout, many reported waiting just minutes to vote.

"No wait at the Hicksville Middle School at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.," Thomas McGovern said in response to Patch's article seeking to hear from people about Election Day poll problems.

Fellow Patch poster Brandysmom also reported seeing no problems at Hicksville Middle School.

"There was no problem at all at the Middle School at 8:00 a.m. It was very well organized and run very smoothly. Thank you to all workers there," Brandysmom said.

In Port Washington, voters reported smooth sailing across the board.

"Absolutely no problem in Port Washington. Voted at Protection Engine Company, PWFD. The polling area is very well operated. No waiting at 1;15 p.m.," Richard Cusack said.

"At Munsey Park it took 5 minutes about 11:00 today," Diane Garnjost wrote in response to a Patch Neighbor Post.

"Long lines....ha. Had to wait 62 seconds at the fire house! Very active...everyone excited to get this done," Stephen Klyce said.

But that wasn't the case for Danny McHugh, who reported a "slight problem" at Fork Lane Elementary School in Hicksville.

"Had a slight problem this morning at Fork Lane. Nasty woman had a problem with my red Wounded Warrior hat. She assumed it was a MAGA hat. Said you can’t come in here with that on. When she realized what it really said, she was so embarrassed she ran out without voting," McHugh said.

Twitter user @arnoldheller said a ballot scanner malfunctioned around 9 a.m. at James H. Vernon School in East Norwich.

"We were told to put our vote in a locked box attached to the machine. It would be manually scanned by someone tonight," he wrote.

He told Patch in a follow-up message: "Took my ballot to nearest private box. Finished I took it nearest scanner. Lady says it broken and leave it In Lock box. They will open box and scan tonight. I was upset but had already put my ballet in the box. I thought I heard her say all were broken but that was not the case. They should have put up sign in the broken scanner."

While most voters said they saw no lines, Kenneth Ryan told Patch in an email he tried voting around 6 a.m. at East Broadway Elementary School in Seaford. When he arrived, hundreds of people were waiting in line to vote.

"I turned around and went home, have to be at work by 8 a.m. I've been informed that there wasn't enough poll workers and they didn't open the doors."

Ryan said he's voted at the school since 1982 and had never seen that long of a line at there. He returned to the school around 4:20 p.m. and cast his ballot in about five minutes.

Voter James Citroen expressed concerns over privacy after seeing younger poll workers looking at ballots as they were loaded into scanners.

"I had to call the board if elections because while it was refreshing to see some younger workers who could hear and didn't ask you 10 times for your name, I was taken back as was the couple in front of me because two poll workers thought it was their business to look at the ballot as it went into the machine," Citroen told Patch in an email.