The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Sunset Park serves as one of the polling stations for the local Chinese community. As of the afternoon, more than 300 people had already cast their votes. New York State’s early voting kicked off on the 26th, and the excitement was palpable, with over a dozen voters lining up outside the polling location before it even opened. According to the election station’s supervisor, there has been a significant turnout, and they anticipate a busy few days ahead. Thanks to the availability of online information, voters are more informed than ever, reducing the confusion that typically arose from going to the wrong polling place.
Linda S. Lyons, the senior coordinator at the polling station, shared that by around 1 PM, over 300 voters had participated. She noted that based on previous presidential elections, they expect high traffic in the coming days, with more than 30 translators and volunteers on duty each day. Reflecting on past early voting experiences, she recalled lines stretching out an hour before the station opened, with many voters braving the rain. She cautioned that voters should be mindful of the opening times, as those arriving early would not be admitted until the official start time, and premature votes would not be counted.
Lyons highlighted that many voters checked their polling station addresses beforehand, leading to a minimal number of mistakes regarding location. For those Chinese-speaking voters who might struggle with English, the station has four translators fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and the Ballot Marking Device offers multi-language options to assist voters. “With the device translations and the help from translators, they don’t need to worry too much,” she assured.
On that day, a male voter wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat entered the polling station, ignoring staff requests to remove his hat. It wasn’t until police intervened that he complied. Senior coordinator Mike Huang stressed that any clothing, hats, or signs bearing campaign slogans or candidate names are prohibited at polling places.
A Chinese translator reported that by noon, over 30 Chinese voters had cast their ballots, marking an increase compared to previous elections. Some voters expressed uncertainty about whom to vote for and sought advice from staff. “I tell them I can’t interfere or give opinions; this is your right,” she stated firmly.
