NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - This is the second year that North Salem has employed the optical scanner, where voters simply fill in a circle with a special pen and slide the ballot into a scanner.
Henry Cohen, a 20-year resident of North Salem, found the new voting process easier. Its not as confusing but you have to make sure you dont go outside the lines, whatever that means. Maybe your vote doesnt count?
39-year residents Frank and Margaret Lloyd also approved the new apparatus. Its really much easier, if you dont forget your glasses. Its not a box you can see clearly. They both liked the fact that once your ballot was inserted, the machine indicated that your vote was successfully cast.
At the Croton Falls Fire House, Pat Hitchcock and Kathryn Shubar sat side my side, checking voters in. By 11 a.m. they had enrolled 38 voters out of 355 in their district.
Its nice to sit here. You see people you never see at any other time of year, said Ms. Hitchcock. And you get to find out what their grandchildren are doing, Ms. Shubar added.
Virginia Wiede, at another check-in table noted that she had enrolled 55 voters so far. There are 527 in her district. Its a surprise, she said. We usually dont get that many at this time of day. The weather is a factor. Her co-worker, Karen Amaan, added, It gets busier when the trains come in.
There are eight voting districts in North Salem and three different places to vote.
Districts 1 and 2: Croton Falls Fire Station, 1 Front Street, Croton Falls
Districts 3, 4, 5 and 6: North Salem Fire Station, 301 Titicus Road
Districts 7 and 8: North Salem Lions Community Center, 1 Titicus Road, Purdys
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Any questions? Call the Town Clerks office: 914-669-5577.
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