Some Election Day Snags In Newark, But Not At 'Super Poll Site'

Eric Kiefer
·6 min read

NEWARK, NJ — Scattered delays, the successful launch of a “super polling site” and questions about ballot drop box equality were among the Election Day storylines that emerged in Newark.

Many people chose to return their ballots via mail this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. But on Tuesday, a limited number of polling places were also open across New Jersey.

In Newark, the state’s most populated city, some early-morning voters were left standing outside their local polls in the cold.

News 12 New Jersey reported that voters at Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church in Newark were unable to enter the site until around 6:35 a.m., a half-hour after the poll location was scheduled to open.

There were other reported delays at Newark polling places, as well.

The 345 Broadway site was not open as of approximately 7:10 a.m., with witnesses reporting many people waiting outside in the cold. At around 7:18 a.m., at least two voters reported that the Rafael Hernandez Elementary School was still not open in Essex County for polling, and 69 Vessey St. was reportedly not open as of 7:49 a.m., nearly two hours after the location was slated to open.

Other Newark polling places that reportedly saw delays included:

  • A line also reportedly formed outside Malcolm X Shabazz High School this morning, with at least one eyewitness saying the poll workers did not have the key to the building.

  • At West Side High School, one voter reported voter intimidation, claiming they were not allowed to certify their ballot because a poll worker could not "guarantee" the candidates the voter chose.

  • A roving poll worker said Tuesday that the 8 Hawkins St. location opened nearly an hour late without any identifying signage. When the location did reopen, workers only let one person into the building at a time to cast their vote.

  • At First Avenue Elementary School, a poll worker reported two signs in the vicinity of the polling site: one sign that read "Vote Line A" and another reading "Democrat". He also reported a man trying to intimidate those speaking Spanish.

Some poll workers and advocates tried their best to make the delays less painful.

According to World Central Kitchen, voters waited about an hour at Wilson Avenue School in the Ironbound section of the city. But chef Ameer Natson tried to brighten up the situation by serving up hot breakfast sandwiches.

Other voters in Newark said they didn’t hit any Election Day problems, however.

“Voted in my area in Newark … only took like 15 minutes,” a resident tweeted.

Meanwhile, a new “super polling site” at the Prudential Center saw a successful launch, with many Newark residents turning up to cast provisional ballots, use ADA-compliant machines or drop off their mail-in ballots.

The arena, which has a capacity of 19,500 people, normally hosts concerts and serves as the home stadium of the New Jersey Devils hockey team. But on Tuesday, it was transformed, with polling dividers and election officials spread out across the arena floor to maintain six feet of social distancing.

Voters were asked to wear face masks and sanitize their hands. Pens were provided for single use; voters got to keep them as a souvenir of one of the most unusual elections in recent U.S. history.

No lines were reported, with a steady trickle of voters streaming in throughout the morning.

Only certain districts were able to use the super polling site, however. See the list of polling places in Newark here.

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In an effort to boost voter confidence, secure ballot drop boxes were installed across the state, including dozens in Essex County.

Newark had two, with one located at the Essex County Hall of Records and another at City Hall.

Some residents pointed out that Newark had just a pair of drop boxes, despite being the largest city in New Jersey.

Some community members went above and beyond in their efforts to get out the vote.

Staff at Brick Education Network got the day off, and were encouraged to use their time to voluntarily canvass the city, providing rides to the polls and making hundreds of reminder calls about voting.

This story was produced with the help of tips reported through ProPublica's Electionland project. If you experience or witness a problem voting, please let us know.

Patch is partnering with ProPublica's Electionland project to report on problems voters encounter at the polls on Nov. 3 and we want to know if you see any shenanigans. Here's how you can report what you see to Electionland:

  • SMS: Text the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) or 投票 (for Chinese) to 81380 (standard text message rates apply).

  • WhatsApp: Send the word VOTE, VOTA (for Spanish) or 投票 (for Chinese) to 850-909-8683.

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This article originally appeared on the Newark Patch