Quick Question for NY Voters: Should I Be Worried

[NYDem Observer]

I voted early this morning at my local polling place in Harlem. They use the old machines where you have to dust off the cobwebs and pull the lever. Anyway, I was instructed to pull the lever to the right, select my candidate(s), then pull the lever back to the left to record my vote. Other NYers I've spoken to that aren't in my district seem to have been told the opposite at their polling stations, pull to the left, vote, then pull to the right to record.

Should I be concerned? After all my district was one of the districts that didn't record a single vote for Barack in the primaries due to a "clerical error". See link. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89151086

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. That's the same machine I used.

The instructions on the machine said pull right, select, then pull left, so it seemed to work. :shrug:

[TomClash]

2. No, NY is in the bag

It would be a shock if Barack won by less than 20.

[NYDem Observer]

5. I know he is going to win NY

I just want to make sure my vote counted. I want to be a part of history dammit!

[GodlessBiker]

3. You did it correctly. Didn't the curtain close when you threw the lever?

[NYDem Observer]

9. Just called the NY Board of Elections

And they said that on some machines you pull to the left and on some you pull to the right. I shouldn't be worried, if my vote cleared, which it did, then I'm good. Appreciate the responses.

[Essene]

18. Those old machines work great but the problem is the curtains dont always open/close properly

[Chorophyll]

4. We have the old lever machines in Westchester, too.

For the life of me I can't remember which way I pulled the big lever this morning, but don't worry: you pull in one direction to close the curtain, then the other direction to record your vote (and to open the curtain again.) I've used these lever machines in Nassau County, Brooklyn, and Queens, and never had an issue.

[RCinBrooklyn]

6. Pull to RIGHT = Set the machine for vote; pull to LEFT = Record your vote.

[TomClash]

8. This is correct nt

[TomClash]

7. You did it right

The big lever should be on the left and then you pull it to the right, vote and pull it back.

Your vote was recorded.

[TrogL]

10. They're still using those old things?!?! What about hanging chad?

[Chorophyll]

12. Actually, I like these machines.

They're surprisingly efficient. We had the longest lines I've ever seen at my polling place this morning, but I was there for less than ten minutes. And no Dieboldization of votes, either.

[mak3cats]

11. Hey, at least our cobwebby lever machines can't get hacked!

Seriously, I was one of the team who certified the voting machines for my city last Saturday. All of the machines we have here work by pulling the lever to the left, voting, and pulling back to the right to record. However, pulling the lever also works the curtain on the machine, so if the curtain closed when you pulled to the right and opened when you pulled to the left, you're probably fine.

[NYDem Observer]

13. Appreciate the responses. I feel better now.

[maseman]

14. I work in NYC (live in Ohio)

but I am in the city as of this AM. My assistant lives in the Lower East side. She says the polling place and equipment are so outdated that they had better systems in poor parts of Puerto Rico.

The United States of Costa Rica or what?

[Princess Turandot]

16. Those outdated machines work quite well...

and there is no difference in the machines being used on the LES vs. Sutton Place.

[Princess Turandot]

15. You're ok. BTW, when you enter the booth, the lever is already all the way to the left..

so you could not do what the other person described even if you wanted to. He might not know his right from his left!

[Essene]

17. Im in same area, felt no concern at all, Those machines arent the problem.

Those old things actually make me feel comforted.

The important thing is you can hear it functioning correctly.

The errors in the primary didnt seem to be from the machines but from incompetent counting and reporting.

[leftynyc]

19. Did the curtain close when you pulled

the lever? And open when you pulled it they other way? If so, stop worrying.