Rockland Writes: Monsey Voters Don’t Want Really Long Waits at Polling Sites

I know this year’s election is already behind us, but there is still time to address an issue that came up at the polling sites so it can be fixed before the next election.

People in Monsey had to wait a very long time to vote, both during early voting and on Election Day.

At the polling locations, there were lines of more than 50 people, but only three poll workers checking voters in. With that many people waiting, the lines moved extremely slowly.

I waited almost 20 minutes during early voting at around 1:30 p.m. My wife went on Election Day at around 7 p.m. and waited nearly 50 minutes just to vote.

This is not how it should be. People are making the effort to come out and vote, and they shouldn’t have to stand in line for close to an hour because there aren’t enough people working.

The busy polling locations need to have more staff, especially during peak hours. At the very least, the number of workers should be doubled in areas where large crowds are expected. Three people simply aren’t enough to handle lines of that size.

I hope whoever is responsible for staffing the polling sites takes this seriously and makes the necessary changes before the next election. Voting shouldn't mean having to put aside a large part of your day just to stand in line. If the process were quicker and more convenient, perhaps more people would make the effort to come out and vote.

Hoping for improvement,

Menashe L.