Voters Split on New Balloting Process

Voters filed in and out of the various polling places in the Miller Place and Rocky Point districts, and after casting their ballots they had plenty to say about the new process.

This new voting process for Suffolk County involves paper ballots, eliminating the machines that voters have been used to for years. Voters now have to fill in the bubbles on the paper ballots with markers and slide these ballots into a processing machine to cast their votes. For the most part, opinions varied.

"I feel like im back in grammar school filling out scantrons," said David Oliva of Miller Place. "I think this is probably better than the old way but far from where we need to be. We should be able to press a touch screen computer and be done with it, not filling out some scantron that takes five, six minutes to do."

One Miller Place couple, who wished to remain anonymous, were a bit harsher on the new process after they voted at

"It's a waste of time, a waste of resources," they said. It seems like a throwback...I used to do that in the '40s. Like there's nothing else in New York we could possibly spend our money on."

Robert Condemi came to Rocky Point High School to vote and brought along his young son Julius. Condemi had no issues with the new ballots.

"It's just as good as any I suppose," he said. "It works and there are less mechanical things to screw up. You fill in the dot, nice and easy...simplicity sometimes is the best way to get things done."

Michelle Schmitz of Rocky Point wasn't thrilled with the new process but the possibility of more accuracy has her willing to give it a shot.

"I prefer the other way but only because I'm just used to clicking away," she said. "I'm curious to see if this is more accurate than the old way."

Polls close at 9 p.m. Tuesday.