The city’s Board of Elections has not made public a finalized plan for addressing COVID-19 at the polls in the Queens Borough President special election, just two days before early voting is scheduled to begin on Saturday. Election day is March 24th.
A spokesperson for the BOE told Gothamist after a Tuesday commissioners’ meeting that a full report would be published on its website, vote.nyc, by Wednesday, but as of midday Thursday no report has been published.
At the commissioners’ meeting, BOE Executive Director Michael Ryan noted certain measures that the board had already taken, but stressed that a plan of action was not finalized. The board has purchased “tempered glass screen protectors” for ballot reading devices, which will allow poll workers to clean them with bleach after use, and plans to distribute hand sanitizer and wet wipes to poll sites for both election day and early voting. There will be wipes at tables to sanitize equipment -- such as pens used to mark ballots and styluses used to sign in on iPads -- after each use.
“We are mindful of our public responsibilities with respect to the voters and poll workers,” said BOE Executive Director Michael Ryan, in public testimony at the board’s Tuesday commissioners’ meeting. A spokesperson for the BOE did not respond to a request for comment regarding the report’s release prior to publication.
Ryan also said the board is monitoring legislation in Albany that would allow for any voter who wants one to apply for absentee ballots through the day of the election, likely allowing those under quarantine to get absentee requests granted as more and more people are ordered into isolation. A spokesperson for State Senator Zellnor Myrie, the bill’s sponsor in Albany, declined to comment. On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he wasn’t planning on taking any executive action to expand absentee qualifications.
Nonetheless, the board does not plan to require poll workers to test negative for the virus before working. And while the city is putting out messaging on safety practices, such as encouraging early voting so people can avoid crowds, it is unclear whether it can prevent what will likely be a plummet in voter turnout, as a result of fear concerning the virus.
“We don’t want the public to have to choose between casting their ballot in the special election and preserving their health and wellbeing at home,” said Amy Torres, Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Chinese-American Planning Council, in an interview with Gothamist.
Torres said that the work involves not only convincing voters in fear of the virus to turn out for a special election, where low turnout is expected regardless. Asian communities in particular have faced an increase in instances of bias and xenophobia, which she says could translate to a tougher time at the polls. For instance, she noted that masks are often worn in Asian communities to keep oneself from touching their face or to hide redness, not just to avoid catching or spreading diseases, but that that cultural context may be lost on poll site workers.
“We want to make sure the BOE is vigilant about spotting and mitigating instances of microaggressions, bias, and discrimination,” Torres said. In her testimony, she called for the BOE to train poll workers in not only sanitary practices, but also in combatting bias and discrimination related to the virus.
Matt Sollars, a spokesperson for the city’s Campaign Finance Board, said that the board will run ads urging people to turn out, and specifically to early vote when there are smaller crowds at poll sites. It will post its voter guide online, and has put up a webpage addressing the virus.
“NYC Votes encourages Queens voters to cast a ballot in the coming Borough President special election, because the health of our democracy depends on all of our voices being heard at the polls,” Sollars said. “Our digital advertising will highlight our page about voting and COVID-19 when New Yorkers search for election information. We will continue to update the page with the latest information and guidance from the Board of Elections and public health authorities.”
The candidates are urging precautions while also trying not to discourage voting.
“Voters and poll workers must be ensured that their health is secured on Election Day,” said Thomas Musich, a spokesperson for Council Member Donovan Richards’s campaign. “We look forward to seeing guidance from the Board of Elections on the best possible way to achieve that. As we monitor the situation each day, we're reminding volunteers and staff to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer consistently, and to stay home if they're not feeling well.”
Council Member Costa Constantinides, also running for borough president, said the virus presents an “opportunity” to vote early and thus avoid crowded polling places on election day. Though there are far fewer early voting sites than regular poll sites; with 18 early voting sites versus 291 regular sites, early voting turnout will likely still be lower than on election day.
“The health and safety of every Queens resident is our top priority,” Constantinides said in a statement. “In addition to spreading our message throughout the borough, we're also encouraging everyone to remain calm but vigilant. Early voting begins in three days. This is an opportunity for Queens residents to avoid the highest turnout on the final day of voting. We continue to connect with Queens residents to remind them of the special election, how to vote early, and, most of all, work together to stay healthy.”
Anthony Miranda, an ex-NYPD sergeant who runs the National Latino Officers Association and is running for borough president, said that the virus will force the BOE to “modernize” its process. Miranda last month managed his way back on the ballot after being forced off over an error in his paperwork.
“The current crisis facing our communities will force the Board of Elections to modernize the electoral process,” Miranda said in an email. “They need to explore all available secure alternatives. The requirements to collect signatures for the Democratic primaries need to be suspended. Volunteers collecting signatures and the registered voters providing the signatures should not be exposed to potentially contracting the virus. Fear, real or just perceived, needs to be effectively managed to ensure full voter participation. All candidates should be allowed on the ballot without challenges.”
On Thursday, Crowley announced that her campaign would halt canvassing "because of the coronavirus pandemic to take precautions to protect the safety and health of all." Her statement continued: "These are trying and unprecedented times. We must be smart and vigilant in making sure that our health, wellness, and democratic values are all protected. The special election will be March 24th and early voting starts this Saturday March 14th. Therefore I am calling on the BOE to expand the amount of early voting sites to give people the ability to access poll sites closer to their homes. I am also calling for all registered voters in Queens to be immediately mailed an absentee ballot to expand ballot access."
The James Quinn campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New Yorkers will also cast ballots on April 28th in the Democratic presidential primary, as well as in special elections in North Brooklyn’s 37th Council District and Southeast Queens’ 31st Assembly District.
The BOE has faced widespread criticism in recent years for poorly planned and administered elections. The board was sued in federal court over its allegedly improper removals of around 200,000 voters from the rolls prior to the 2016 presidential primary, including about 125,000 in Brooklyn; the case was eventually settled. In 2018, amid record high turnout for a midterm election, a “perforated” 2-page ballot caused issues for the insufficient number of ballot scanners, leading to long lines in the rain and hundreds of broken scanners.
