It’s 7:15, and less than two hours remain before New York polls close and results start coming in. We’re inside Wein Hall, the polling place for Columbia and Barnard Universities and the surrounding neighborhoods.
About half a block down the street, Columbia senior David Ma is standing on the street, asking every person that passes by, “Have you voted yet?” He holds a large Obama sign and wears an Obama sticker.
He said that the primary “is definitely on people’s minds,” commenting that although it’s not necessarily a constant topic of discussion, Columbia students definitely care. Ma stated he supports Obama because he’s “twenty years [Hillary's] junior, but exhibits qualities much more mature … he’s skipped past the stage where he’s trying to make milestones for himself, and she hasn’t.”
Inside the polls, students and community members alike cast their votes. According to Kehinde Adesina, a first-time Information Clerk at the polling place, he’s seen about equal numbers of students and community members. He mentioned that their busiest times today have been in the morning and around lunchtime. “People seem anxious to vote,” he said.
Steven Richman, General Counsel for the New York City Board of Elections, said that despite the weather, people’s busy schedules, and the Giants’ ticker-tape parade downtown this afternoon, voter turnout has been “moderate to heavy.” He said that he was “pleasantly surprised” with this turnout, commenting that “most voters realize how important the New York primary is to both the Democratic and Republican races, and are coming out to exercise their right to vote.”
Tags: New York, Obama, polls, Super Tuesday
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