Protest votes, light turnout in morning polling (NYS primary)

[brooklynite]

NEW YORK (AP) _ New Yorkers voted Tuesday thinking the closest thing to suspense in the statewide races would be the number of protest ballots cast against far-ahead front-runners Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer.

The two Democrats hold big leads in the polls, but some liberals were still unhappy.

"Ugh. I'm so frustrated with American politics right now," said Michael Avrut, 37, of Brooklyn.

Avrut said Clinton had been "sickeningly absent" in fighting for gay marriage, and cast his primary vote for Clinton's challenger Jonathan Tasini. Avrut, a city worker, said he would vote for Clinton in the general election.

...snip...

New York City Board of Elections spokeswoman Valerie Vazquez said voter turnout Tuesday morning was light.

...In the combined six precincts I was poll-watching this morning, the votes tally was.....12

..Look at the results of the Clinton/Tasini race this evening. Based on people I've talked to (most non-activists) I think a surprising number will cast protest votes for Tasini.

[Renew Deal]

1. It would be funny if Tasini won by accident.

I am happy to say that I was the 4th voter at my precinct this morning. That was at 9:15.

[coalition_unwilling]

10. It would be earth-shattering if Tasini won, not to mention

funny in a gut-wrenching black-humor sort of way.

[KurtNYC]

13. And then Hillary would run as an Independent in the

"CT for Lieberman" party.

I went for Tasini also. Empty precinct. The emptiest I have ever seen it. Fox 5 was out front but they stayed in their truck since there was no one to interview.

[Renew Deal]

15. Every race is a blowout except maybe AG.

So people might be staying home.

[Greeby]

17. Doesnt that work in Tasinis favour?

Because the people who support him are more likely to get out and vote, right? :shrug:

[Renew Deal]

18. Theoretically.

But I don't know if enough people support him. It might work for Green. I think Cuomo's support is soft.

[brooklynite]

16. Actually, no...

Deadline for independent candidacy filings was back in August.

[Ignacio Upton]

2. Please get 20%, Tasini

I'm about to head out to my polling place, and I plan on voting for Tasini as a way to deter Hillary from running in 2008. I'm also planning on protesting our shitty list of Attornery General candidates (I can't stand Cuomo or Green) by voting for Sean Maloney. For everything else (Governor, Congressman, and State Senator) I'm voting for Spitzer, Maffei, and Valesky.

[Greeby]

3. Hmm, who would a low turnout benefit?

:shrug:

[OneBlueSky]

4. just voted . . . Tasini, Spitzer, and John Hall for Congress . . .

felt good . . . btw, it was on the old lever machines . . .

[brooklynite]

5. I took a stab at the new electronic machines in NYC...

They're available at the BOE offices in each Borough. Reasonably easy to use, and it spits out an OCR ballot for tallying, but the processing time to set each person up was unacceptably long.

[Ignacio Upton]

7. Does it use a paper trail?

And what company makes them? After today's fiasco in Maryland, I hope that this will be the death knell for Diebold.

[brooklynite]

8. Company name is Avanti...

The machine does not record votes. It is, in bureaucratic parlance, a "Ballot Marking Device" that produces a paper ballot for optical scanning.

[Ignacio Upton]

6. Just curious, who do you think will win the NY-19 primary?

n/t.

[brooklynite]

9. Don't know...my office-mate is out working for Hall.

I'm poll-watching in the 11th for Yassky, but with all four candidates dead even, it depends on GOTV, which probably puts him at a disadvantage.

[Renew Deal]

11. Will there be a run off for that seat?

[brooklynite]

12. Not for a Federal election...

all you need is one more vote than the other guy.

[Renew Deal]

14. Thanks!

:yourock:

[Earth_First]

19. Another Tasini voter here. n/t

[Earth_First]

20. Clinton: 86.5% Tasini: 13.5 % 118 districts reporting (9:29 p.m.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2825109