NEW YORK - The popular sentiment in the room was one of celebration. The State Legislature held a hearing this Wednesday on the results of early voting.
 
"Hooray! It worked really well,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause NY. “It was popular with the voters, it was popular with the poll workers."

For the first time ever, New Yorkers had the chance to cast their ballots prior to Election Day this year. It was a test run right before the election-packed 2020.

The Board of Elections says about 60,000 voters took advantage of it at one of the 61 locations around the city.

Thirty-three of the early polling sites were in public schools and after some parents and teachers voiced safety concerns, the city is now saying it will find alternative locations.  

"We are ready to start tomorrow identifying new sites and working with the Board of Elections to make sure there are enough sites for early voting," said Ayirini Fonseca-Sabune, chief Democracy officer of the City of New York.

There's not a lot of time: the first citywide early-voting election will be the Democratic presidential primary on April 28. The Board says it is ready to get to work.

"It's just not a question of eliminating the schools, it's a question of if not the schools, where? And that's when I'm saying it's an all hands on deck approach at all levels of government to identify suitable alternative locations," said Michael Ryan, executive director of the New York City Board of Elections.

Governmental sites are expected to make the bulk of the new list. In some cases, however, private spaces might have to be used and rent would have to be paid.  It's up in the air whether that will mean extra funding from the state.

"Well, I think it's a cost, but what is the price of democracy?" Brad Hoylman, state senator from Manhattan said.

"It's something that's going to be a work in progress, but I think we need to do it. I think that if we really want this to work the way it was meant to then we have to invest," said Catalina Cruz, assemblywoman from Queens.

The Board of Elections is asking New Yorkers to participate in identifying new potential polling sites. If you want to suggest a location, you can send an email -before December 17- to earlyvotingfeedback@boe.nyc.