Why did voting precinct move?

To the editor:

On election day, many voters who walked or found a rare parking spot at P.S. 81 at West 256th Street and Riverdale Avenue were told they couldn’t vote where they had voted for years.

They now had to walk up a steep hill — for senior citizens — and vote at The Riverdale Y.

Voters were angry. Some were frustrated. Some just walked away and decided not to vote. Those who tried to contact friends and family to alert them about this change were not even sure who this “change” affected, or why.

There was no previous notice. If you looked carefully at the small print on the bottom of Page 3 of the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s Voter Guide, you read, “Poll site locations can change, so be sure to check before you go.”

When you emailed the site — if you happen to have a computer — you got a message that wouldn’t connect you. There was also a phone number but, truthfully, most voters skip this info to read about the candidates and the proposals, assuming they’ll just vote where they always vote.

In these days of “misinformation,” this was a serious case of “no information.”

Barbara Connolly

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