This Midtown Early Voting Site Is The 3rd-Most Overloaded In NYC

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Since early voting began on Saturday, New Yorkers have been stunned by the long lines at polling sites around the city — and puzzled why some sites seemed much more crowded than others.

A new report by the city's Campaign Finance Board explains why: the number of voters assigned to each early voting site varies enormously. Among the most overloaded sites in all of New York is the Madison Square Garden lobby, where a staggering 110,847 voters have been assigned, according to the analysis, which was first reported by Gothamist.

Sure enough, voters for days have reported waiting in hourslong lines at MSG, which became a voting location thanks to a high-profile partnership with the National Basketball association. Voters assigned to the arena include many Hell's Kitchen residents, who in past elections had been able to vote much closer to their homes.

When Patch stopped by on Wednesday, the wait had decreased to about an hour.

The line to #vote in NYC — an HOUR before poll open — is at least 2 1/2 blocks long, plus there’s surely a line inside Madison Square Garden. @MadSquareGarden #Election2020 #Elections2020 pic.twitter.com/VTnf9pMCiM
— Court Stroud (@CourtStroudNYC) October 28, 2020

Long line of early voters in Madison Square Garden stretching along 8th ave, 7th ave and 34th Street. #Election2020#VoteEarlyDay #EarlyVoting pic.twitter.com/jg6DyNv0ff
— Rom Matibag (@rommatibag) October 24, 2020

Bobby Canty, a Midtown resident who was nearing the front of the line by 1 p.m., said this was his first time voting in a presidential election since 2008 — motivated by his desire to oust President Trump.

"I’m voting again after 12 years just to get him out of there," he said. "Try to get him out."

The Board of Elections has come under harsh scrutiny this week for the long waits, and for setting up only 88 early voting sites compared to 1,201 on Election Day Nov. 3.

Mayor Bill de Blasio blamed the lines on incompetence by the Board, while Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called them a form of voter suppression, since they could deter people from casting their votes.

According to the CFB analysis, the five most overloaded polling sites in New York are:

• Robert Wagner Middle School, 225 East 75th Street: 118,753 assigned registered voters
• West Side High School, 140 West 102nd Street: 112,795 assigned voters
• Madison Square Garden Lobby, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza: 110,847 assigned voters
• Council Center for Senior Citizens, 1001 Quentin Road (Brooklyn): 100,535 assigned voters
• Helen Marshall Cultural Center at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard (Queens): 98,012 assigned voters

The least-crowded site, by contrast, is the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in Greenwich Village, where only 8,317 voters are assigned.

A spokesperson for the Board did not respond to questions about how the assignments were made.

Responding to public pressure, the Board of Elections on Tuesday announced extended hours from Friday through Sunday at early voting sites around the city.

In a statement, State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who represents Midtown, praised New Yorkers' willingness to wait in line, but said the state should have passed a bill he proposed in August that would have allowed the city to set up ballot drop boxes, likely reducing wait times.

"No one should have to stand in line for multiple hours just to exercise their fundamental right to vote," Hoylman said.

Canty, meanwhile, said he would have stuck it out, no matter the length of the line.

"I didn’t care how long it took," he said. "I've got to vote."

Related coverage:

• New Yorkers Brave Long Lines For Day 4 Of Early Voting