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NYC Ballot Complaint: The Print Is Too Damn Small!
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 2, 2010
Modified Nov 2, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 2, 2010
Modified Nov 2, 2010
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One of the complaints that Twittering NYC voters have had with today's general election is the size of the font on the actual ballot. One wondered, "NYC Board of Elections discouraging seniors to vote? Cuz the type on that ballot is extra tiny, even if they do supply magnifiers," only for the NYC Board of Elections to Tweet back, "On all BMDs, “Zoom In” makes the font size larger. “Zoom Out” brings the font back to normal size." The voter replied, "@BOENYC Ummm...no, there were no large font feature on the ballot marking device. Also was not given any instructions by workers."
City Councilman David Greenfield issued a statement criticizing the BOE, “The Board of Elections should have known that this would be a problem. I have spoken with many exasperated seniors who are upset because they were unable to vote properly due to the tiny font used on today’s General Election ballot. Quite frankly, as a thirty-something year-old City Councilman, even I had trouble reading the consistently tiny print on the ballot.” While at his own polling site in Bensonhurst, Greenfield says poll workers were complaining that seniors just left without voting, "One poll worker told me that a senior was so frustrated with the ballot that she tore it in two and left in tears. That kind of disenfranchisement of our seniors is simply unacceptable."
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election day 2010
Election day voting
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voting machine
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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