Politics & Government
Poll Problems: Machines Impounded, Protest
Mt. Pleasant machines have been impounded, along with other areas; in Tarrytown, there was just some minor protest that had to move on back.
On election day, Tuesday, Nov. 6, the Mt. Pleasant town clerk reported to Sleepy Hollow police that poll machines were to be impounded. The call came before polls closed at 6:26 p.m. The clerk requested police check on polling locations at the Eagles Club, Philipsburg Manor, and the three fire houses. Officers were sent to all locations and reported all in order.
The impounding of machines here and in other areas seems to have particularly delayed the final outcome of one race. Read more on the Wagner/Ball race, and how it's officially in limbo, here.
The order, by State Supreme Court Justice Francesca Connolly, sealed all machines in Cortlandt, Peekskill, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, Mount Pleasant, New Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers and Yorktown.
Find out what's happening in Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Earlier, reports suggested that mechanical problems had stalled the vote count in northern Westchester. But Westchester County Elections Commissioner Reginald LaFayette and a number of town clerks disputed that. “There was no problem with the machines,” LaFayette said. “Nothing unusual.” He said that “every election there’s a machine that goes down—and then it comes back up. That’s true through the history of elections, whether the old machines or the new machines.”
LaFayette downplayed the impact of the court’s order, which suspends vote counting as soon as it’s issued. “We get this routinely every election,” he said.
Find out what's happening in Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollowwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Meanwhile, Tarrytown's polling problem was more minor:
On Nov. 6 at 7:02 p.m. a person walked into headquarters to report that a woman was protesting in front of the Village Hall polling station. Officers spoke with the resident in the parking lot who said they were speaking out about the election and that the 100-foot marker was not properly posted at the location. Officer spoke with the caller, the polling place worker, who came out with measuring tape and posted the marker at the proper distance. Interviewed party was satisfied and would stand behind marker.
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