Rockland Voters Report Smooth Sailing On Election Day

With a couple of hours to go before polls closed, voters across Rockland County told Patch that for the most part, Election Day was smooth sailing, save a few long lines.

Lots of people showed up as polls opened at 6 a.m., but although long lines and waits were reported early Tuesday morning, those lines seemed to lighten up as the morning wore on, with relatively little waiting time.

In a sign of how tense this election season has been, another Patch reader reported being jarred to see electioneering going on outside his polling place.

"I was surprised when someone approached me with pamphlets designed to encourage me to vote for Elijah Reichlin-Melnick for State Senate," said John Ricciardi, who was in line at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack at 6:15 a.m. It may be a time-honored campaign tactic, as long as it's more than 100 feet from the entrance to a polling place, "But it seemed in very poor taste to approach people on line to vote and try to sway their vote."

In general, lines moved smoothly and poll workers were pleasant, Patch readers reported. One couple in their 80s was dismayed to arrive at their polling place in New City to find a long line.

"Then a poll worker invited us to go right in and vote without having to wait on this line. What a relief!" Maureen Landers told Patch. "In the future I think we will take advantage of early voting."

If you're voting in the next hour, heed the words of outgoing state Sen. David Carlucci: