V. The Report

On November 2, 2005, our trained surveyors spread out across the city to monitor conditions at the polls. One hundred and thirty two volunteers each surveyed at least one Election District across the city. These surveyors had two primary tasks:

Ask 10 voters leaving each polling site to complete a questionnaire about their voting experience; and
Ask the Board of Elections' "Poll Site Coordinator" at their site a simple question concerning voting rights and the new identification requirements required of certain first-time voters.

In all, 10 voters from each poll site at 174 randomly selected Election Districts across the city completed questionnaires about their election experiences (at approximately 12% of the city's poll sites.) Additionally, at 161 of the selected poll sites, Poll Site Coordinators answered surveyor questions regarding new voter ID requirements. This sample represents a significant fraction – 12% – of the city's 1,335 Poll Site Coordinators.

The survey was based on a randomly chosen set of Election Districts and represents a statistically accurate impression of conditions at poll sites across the city. Unfortunately, our sample size does not allow for a borough by borough comparison beyond our Voter Agony Index. For more information, please refer to the methodology section of the appendix.

The survey was developed and directed by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) with the help of independent expert researchers and members of the civic community. Surveyors came from a range of sources. These included college students from campuses with NYPIRG offices across the five boroughs, NYPIRG staff, law students with the group Just Democracy, civic groups active in election participation and education efforts, and from New Yorkers concerned about the integrity of the election process recruited through the media and internet.

Poll Monitors participating in the survey had official 'Poll Monitor' status from the New York City Board of Elections. We thank the Board and their Executive Director John Ravitz for agreeing to place themselves under such scrutiny. We will be providing the Board with data concerning problem poll sites following the release of this report.

We have supplemented the statistical results of the survey with voter comments taken by our Poll Site Monitor/Surveyors and from the NYPIRG/Common Cause New York Voter Helpline which logged 3,000 calls from city voters this past November 2 nd. Over the course of Election Day problems encountered by our monitors or received by the Helpline were phoned in directly to the executive offices of the Board of Elections.

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