Residents Complain About Long Wait Times at Polls

Throughout the day, many Middletown residents have complained about long wait periods at the polling stations. Some poll workers reported residents found the ballots confusing to understand.

At Gaudet Middletown School, candidate Linda Finn said residents had to wait over two hours and that many walked out without casting their vote. 

State Senator Louis DiPalma said the problem needs to be addressed.

"It was way too long," said DiPalma.

He said the issue is a combination of a large voter turnout along with the larger precincts with fewer polling stations.   Legislation was passed at the request of the town clerks to increase the size of the precincts.

"We need to revisit that," said DiPalma.

On Facebook, Niko Merritt said that some elderly people had to wait for long periods and she saw some leave the station.

"The worst thing is to disenfranchise voters," said DiPalma.   He said he waited an hour to vote this afternoon.

The wait differed significantly by location.  Nancy Piazza said she did not have a wait at the FOP Lodge this morning, but others reported that Middletown High School was about an hour, throughout the day.

Tell us your experience. Did you vote?  How long was the wait?  Do you think long waits could impact the election results?