BOE Head: Primary Day Problems Inflated By Mayor, Media
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The city's Board of Elections appeared Wednesday before a State Senate committee about voting problems on Primary Day.
Officials say they are still trying to sort out the issues, including how many scanners broke and why some polling sites opened hours late.
The board's executive director admitted his agency is partly to blame, but said Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the media exaggerated the problems.
"And you discouraged everyone from voting. And now you want to blame it on me, absolutely not. It's you guys who have to report things as they actually happen," said New York City Board of Elections Executive Director George Gonzalez.
The mayor's office says it learned of the problems firsthand and through calls to 311.
Primary Day was the first time new electronic voting machines were used.
The Board of Elections promises Election Day will go much smoother in November.