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A SURVEY OF CONDITIONS AT THE POLLS IN NEW YORK CITY

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2, 2004
A NYPIRG Report
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Table 1


Table One: Survey Highlights
  • Our Voter Agony Index found that 13% of voters surveyed experienced an "agonizing" problem at the polls such as a broken machine or chaotic poll site. In our survey, Manhattan fared worst on the Agony Index with 19% of voters reporting a major problem. Staten Island and Queens fared best at 7%.
  • Forty five percent of Board of Elections' Poll Site Coordinators surveyed failed to correctly answer questions about new identification requirements required of certain voters.
  • Six percent of voters surveyed were unjustly asked to produce identification at the polls on November 2 nd.
  • Five percent of voters surveyed relayed to surveyors that, while properly registered, they did not find their name in the poll books on November 2 nd.
  • Nearly half of all voters surveyed (48.6%) reported that Board of Elections workers failed to ask if they needed help in operating the voting machine, in violation of Board policy.
  • While 93% of voters surveyed described their poll sites as either "calm and quiet" or "busy & orderly," 7% of voters described their polling sites as either "confusing" or "chaotic."
  • Poll workers did a good job distributing paper (Affidavit) ballots to voters. Virtually all voters surveyed were offered this option if problems arose with their registrations.

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