Harlem, Washington Heights Need More Early Voting Sites, Pols Say

Harlem NY

28 May, 2021

3:15 PM

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UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — With just under two weeks to go before the start of early voting, a group of elected officials is taking the city to task over what they called a lack of polling places in Upper Manhattan. In Thursday's letter to the Board of Elections, politicians including U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, City Councilmember Mark Levine and Borough President Gale Brewer called on the city to add early voting sites in Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood. Early voting will run from June 12–20, ahead of the June 22 primary. Of Manhattan's 21 early voting locations, six are north of 114th Street, according to the Daily News, which first reported on the letter. "Meanwhile, there are noticeably more locations in predominantly caucasian neighborhoods across Manhattan," the officials wrote. "This is not fair and is undemocratic." Failing to add more sites, they added, would be "nothing short of modern disenfranchisement that targets communities of color." Two of the sites — the Washington Heights Armory and Columbia Medical Center — are just blocks away from each other, the officials noted. The BOE did not respond to Patch's request for comment, but a commissioner told the Daily News that "criticism 16 days before the start of early voting is unfair." A BOE spokesperson added that polling sites are difficult to secure, since landlords are reluctant to rent out properties for the short 10-day window. Last fall, the city's early voting sites were plagued by hourslong lines amid high turnout for the presidential election and allegations of poor planning by the BOE. Turnout is expected to be far lower for the June city elections, however. Find your early voting site or Election Day polling place here.