Voters Reflect on Primary Day and New Voting Machines

September 14 is primary day in New York and Yorktown residents, registered with a political party, cast their choices for nominees in a range of offices for the November elections. 

Voters chose party candidates, and used new voting machines for the first time. Poll inspectors in Yorktown said there have not been any problems with the new voting machines, but the turnout throughout the day has been slow. Many said more voters are expected to come out for the November election.

We caught up with a few votes and asked them why are they voting and what they thought of the new machines.

Kenneth Brown, Mohegan Lake, retired. 

"I know this is a new thing. There will probably be some controversy. I'm trusting that it's foul proof. I didn't find it confusing."-- of the voting machine.

He said before coming out to vote he read about the process, but thought the instructions should be made clearer.

Gerson Lopez, Mohegan Lake, NYPD officer, Manhattan. Registered Republican.

"It's easy, as long as I didn't mess up."-- of voting on the new machine.

"What's important to me is the economy. We are not being represented fairly in Washington, D.C. It's a government for the people by the people, not a government that forgets about the people once they are elected."

Carol Maynard, Yorktown, housewife. Registered Republican. 

"It seems quite simple."-- of the voting machine.

She said it would take time for people to get used to the new way of voting, but the procedure is simple.

"I'm for change. I don't want to see my vote go to waste, especially now. I'm tired of too much government. I don't like being told what to do."

Marino Fanelli, 84, Yorktown. Registered Democrat.

"Easy"- on voting with the new machine. 

His biggest concern was that there was little privacy while voting. Even though there were many people around when he voted, he said more people will come out in November, and when people wait in line, there is little privacy at the machine. 

He said he always votes during elections.

"That's really our obligation. I feel strongly about it."

Before coming to the polls he said he knew about the new machines and how things were going to happen, but the inspectors showed him how it worked. 

"It's difficult to provide a service and hit everything right," he said of the new voting system. 

Richard Lattis, Yorktown, retired. Registered Democrat. 

"The machine is fine. I have no problem with it. "-- on the voting machine. He said he liked it shows people their vote has been cast, there is a paper document, which minimizes the chances of errors. 

"I'm voting because I think it's our right."

Sharon Lattis, Yorktown, Registered Democrat. 

Her ballot was returned the first time because she had colored outside the oval. She said she was careful to color all of it in, as instructed, and when she went over it for the second time with the provided marker, she must have gone out of the lines. 

"It's my duty," she said of voting after she made her choice for Senate and Attorney General. 

Carol Kirgstin, Mohegan Lake. Registered Democrat.

"It was very easy."-- of voting on the new machine. 

Joseph and wife Phyllis Giaime, Yorktown, Registered Republicans. 

The most important issue they said was the right to life. They said voting to them is important, and they wanted the candidates to have similar values to theirs. They said they had no problem with the new voting machines. 

Daniel Lefkowitz, of Yorktown Heights. Registered Democrat.

"It's very simple."-- of voting on the new machine. 

He said he was curious as to why they had to make the changes, and said he comes to vote every time.

"It's our right," he said and explained the biggest issue in his mind is the environment. 

Yorktown poll inspectors also reflected on the new voting machines. 

Janet Mosca, who has been a voting inspector for 10 years, said the new voting machines would mean less work for them at night, because the machine counts the votes. 

Lauren Vigna said she thought the process went much smoother than she had expected, despite some voters confusing in the beginning. 

Kathy Wojcik said people seemed to be happy with the voting machines, but noted that the process would need improvements. 

"The system needs to be looked at," she said. "I'm sure the Board of Elections will have a meeting to see where it needs to be improved."

Wijcik said the writing on the ballot is too small, they have to tell people to stay within the lines when coloring in the oval for their chosen candidate. Going outside of the lines or not completely filing in the oval would return the ballot.

"It has to be almost perfect," she said. 

Voting inspectors at the Town Hall location said there haven't been many problems. By early afternoon there were two people who went out of the lines and had to fill out another ballot, and one person had to complete another ballot after voting for more than one candidate.

Isabel Cavanagh, voting inspector, said the voting machines work fine and people have been pleased and have been saying the process was simple. 

"We'll find out tomorrow how this works," she said. 

Poll inspectors from different districts said people have been complaining about the print being too small, going out of the lines when filling in their choice of candidate, wasting too much paper, and going back in time (from paper ballots, to machines, and paper ballots again). 

"There have been comments that people have not adjusted to the changes," Chuck Radke said. "I'm sure it will take some time."

Kathie Nicholson said there was nothing wrong with the old process, and now this has turned into a two-step process with filling in the ovals at the privacy booth, then going over to the machine to cast the vote.

Although the primary election does not have a big turnout, poll inspectors expect more people to vote in November. Then polling locations might get crowded and people would have to wait in lines.

"I think the other way was a lot faster and easier," Jennie Menton-Grasso said.

Grasso said she thinks they might lose voters who would not want to wait in line.  

Polls for the primary election are open until 9 p.m.