Notwithstanding MSNBC’s forecast the day before the election, reports of the first returns are still hours away. It is unclear from exit polls whether the Democrats will succeed in taking control of the House and/or Senate, but if they don’t, the stage is already set for a litany of grievances about how the election was rigged.
Chaos at polling places across deep-blue New York City led City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to tweet early this afternoon:
Every election is like Groundhog Day: long lines, polling site issues, huge problems. Now we’re blaming the weather? It’s unacceptable & unfair to voters. Michael Ryan should resign & we should begin a top to bottom review of how this happened. It’s time for new leadership at BOE https://t.co/nxl5swtCeb
— Corey Johnson (@CoreyinNYC) November 6, 2018
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Board of Elections chief Michael Ryan is reported as saying that the problems were due to high voter turnout, and to the rain, which was making paper ballots soggy and causing them to jam up ballot scanners, but Democrats — including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — are taking no prisoners.
Mother Jones, meanwhile, bemoans long lines, equipment malfunctions, and voting machine shortages in heavily black precincts of Georgia, which Democratic Coalition co-founder Scott Dworkin blames on a GOP conspiracy.
No power cords for voting machines in African American majority neighborhood in Georgia. This is a disgrace. I don’t believe in coincidences. Everyone should assume this is all orchestrated by Kemp. Who’s the biggest cheater in Georgia politics in years. pic.twitter.com/zmv24R7TJ3
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) November 6, 2018
The inclement weather is posing a problem for localities up and down the eastern seaboard. The Baltimore Sun reports “delays, ballot problems and at least one power outage,” while the northern Plains states are experiencing snow that is hampering access to some polling places.
Residents of the Lower Hudson Valley had to cope note only with rain but with the wrong voting machines being delivered to designated polling sites.
