Gavin reported the issue to the Board of Elections and a representative said they would “correct it immediately.”
Candice Giove, a Republican strategist, said she had a similar experience at her polling site in Bushwick, Brooklyn around 11 a.m.
“I was handed a Democratic ballot and I realized when I opened the folder and I saw Kathy Hochul’s name,” Giove told The Post.
“I went back and told the poll worker ‘I’m not a Democrat, I’m a Republican’ and he said to me, ‘we don’t have any Republican ballots.'”
Giove said poll workers then started digging through the cabinets and found a pack of Republican ballots that were “shrink wrapped and under a bunch” of other items and at that point she was able to cast her vote.
While Republican voters can be a rare sight in New York City’s blue streets, Gavin and Giove are concerned other GOP supporters at their polling locations weren’t able to cast their ballots and could’ve voted for Democrats instead, which is against election rules.
“It seemed like they were just giving out Democrat ballots. People might not have known and assumed their only choice was to vote Democrat. People likely voted on the Democrat ballot because they weren’t given any other choice, which is why I was so incensed,” said Gavin.
“I was disenfranchised. I couldn’t believe it.”
Giove called the incident “deeply concerning.”
“I could’ve just filled out a Democratic ballot and voted and no one would’ve known the difference,” she said.
“What if I wanted to vote who I thought would be the easiest to defeat?”
Gavin later returned to the polling location around noon where election workers apologized for the issue and helped him successfully cast his vote for Astorino.
Vincent Ignizio, the Deputy Executive Director of the city Board of Elections, didn’t dispute Gavin’s account when asked by The Post for comment and instead, shifted blame to the polling location.
“Our 1,200-plus polling sites citywide are aware that we have both Republican and Democratic statewide primaries today, and the ballots for each to distribute. We have reiterated this to our borough offices to ensure all voters receive the appropriate ballots,” Ignizio said.
When Giove reported her issue on Twitter, a rep tweeted back to her that they would investigate what happened.
Gavin, who voted for Mayor Eric Adams during the mayoral election, called the snafu unacceptable and said he would’ve been just as angry if he found out there were no Democratic ballots available at the location.
“I gave Curtis Sliwa $500 but I voted for Eric Adams. When I was a Nassau County resident, I voted for Tom Suozzi,” said Gavin.
“I will cross party lines. I believe choice is the most important thing we have. My choice was limited to Democrat candidates.”
https://nypost.com/2022/06/28/no-republican-ballots-available-at-bronx-polling-site/