Making The Votes Count

Polling Story

By Kaitlyn Rich

As many already know New York has already gone to Obama. But how are the millions of votes counted? And in particular what voting machinery and methods effect the Tompkins County vote? On Tuesday polling locations all over New York state used the old fashioned lever voters for the last time this year. At area voting locations such as the Museum of the Earth, the Ithaca Library and South Hill Elementary School election officials and voters alike were taking special measures to make sure every vote was counted.

"We have multiple ways of counting the ballots beside the machines," said Becky Booth, election official at the South Hill Elementary School site. Volunteers at all the sites tallied up each individual location's votes before turning them into the county board of locations, who in-turn forwards the totals to the state.

We've all been her since five in the morning," said Carol*, another South Hill Elementary School volunteer. "It's been a very long day," she added. Many polling workers have been manning their posts for over twelve hour shifts which begs the question - How accurate is the counting mechanisms? "Well there is old and there is new technology," said Carol, "Whatever the case we will be able to handle it."

Carol was hinting at the fact that by the next election the state will be outfitted with new handicap accessible voting machines. The current ones work "perfectly fine," as Booth says, they just are harder for the handicap to "use effectively." 

While the votes where steadily being counted, by both hand, machine, and registration records at all locations in the Tompkins County area yesterday the true historic importance of the event was something more than its accurate vote tally. 

"It is amazing to see the country, America, unite as it has in this election. To see the youth come out today and vote is amazing. America is really aware, it's awake," said Booth. Again while the overall numbers will take a few hours of speculation and ultimately days of scrutiny to finalize all the volunteers echoed that the youths' voting experience on Tuesday was the most memorable experience of the day. "We had a group of young girls come in and vote earlier today, one was celebrating her eighteenth birthday," said Sandra Reukaol, another South Hill volunteer, "And they came out with huge smiles on their faces and skipped out the door. I'll never forget it."

* Last names were withheld for privacy. 

Photo and video (from top to bottom): Volunteers help voters at the Museum of the Earth polling location; outside of the museum signs lead voters to where they can cast their ballots; and in the video Carol shows a first time voter how to use New York States older voting machines.

The Other Side of Election Day

Election Day is always one of the biggest days on the American calendar each year. The 2008 Election was no different. However, it was clear on this Tuesday in November that the Presidential election overshadowed anything else.

At South Hill Elementary School, one of several polling places around Tompkins County and specifically the city and town of Ithaca, that seemed to be the sentiment among voters. People who came to place their mark in history made it known that the fight between Barack Obama and John McCain was far more important than whoever was running for local offices.

On the local ballots, Maurice Hinchey was running again for a spot in the House of Representatives from the 22^nd district against George Phillips. Don Barber was vying for State Senate in the 51^st district against James Seward. Several other people were on ballots to be elected among the state assembly, town boards, and many other spots. However, all eyes were clearly on the Obama-McCain war.

I have no reason to take anything away from the Presidential election. After eight years of one man leading the country, it was important for America to go out and make a smart choice in electing a new leader. However, I think the one thing that is clear is that too many Americans are concerned more with the federal government and fail to notice the smaller, sometimes more important people that change our everyday lives.

As I write this article, Barack Obama has just been elected as the new President of the United States and people are celebrating outside my apartment. A new day will dawn on our nation and a lot of people will finally feel this country can turn around. This is monumental without question, and one of the biggest topics in question is education. It is time for the American people to start educating themselves more about local government and those leading them locally just as much as the national leaders.

Below, I have put together a video including some voters from South Hill Elementary School’s polling place. It shows how voters clearly did not show much interest regarding the local political races. For a complete list of the local representatives who were running in the 2008 Election, please visit this page on the Ithaca Journal website.

--Michael Polak