Empty voting booths at P.S. 169 on Tuesday, June 27.
Photo by Ethan Marshall
Polls are officially closed on Election Day in Queens and early returns are starting to trickle in for the local primary races.
Voters had the opportunity to cast their ballots on Tuesday, June 27, for Queens district attorney, civil court county judge and city council races.
Among the few contested races in Queens has incumbent Melinda Katz looking to fend off challengers George Grasso, a former judge, and public defender Devian Daniels for district attorney.
Voter turnout was low throughout the day, as several polling sites across Queens were seen empty, or with few voters inside.
While a lack of awareness of the primary election may have contributed to low voter turnout, Karl Lanfrit, a voter at Bayside High School, opined that some simply chose not to come out and vote.
“In my personal opinion, there are people who don’t think this election is that important,” Lanfrit told QNS. “It’s just as important as any other election.”
Elsewhere in the borough, the gymnasium at P.S. 115 — located at 80-51 261 St. — saw few voters throughout the day.
Cara Sieden, an information clerk at the polling site, said she cast her ballot at P.S. 115, and her family did so during the early voting period.
In response to the low voter turnout, Sieden said voters “can’t complain if they did not vote about what’s going on.”
Despite the low turnout, the city’s Board of Elections (BOE) reported that Queens had seen the highest total of votes cast as of 3 p.m. on June 27, with a total of 34,891, which includes early voting numbers.
The next closest borough is Brooklyn, which had 31,883 votes tallied as of 3 p.m., followed by Manhattan (25,316 votes tallied) and the Bronx (18,085).
QNS will post unofficial primary results released by BOE after the polls close at 9 p.m. Results will not be official until they are certified by the BOE.
Queens District Attorney
George A. Grasso…
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