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Obama Claims New York State

A poll worker assists a voter arriving from a relocated polling site that closed after flooding from superstorm Sandy on Manhattan's Lower East Side in New York, November 6, 2012.
A poll worker assists a voter arriving from a relocated polling site that closed after flooding from superstorm Sandy on Manhattan's Lower East Side in New York, November 6, 2012.

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Margaret Besheer

November 06, 2012

NEW YORK — Polls in storm-hit New York City have now closed and projections have incumbent President Barack Obama winning the state's 29 electoral votes. Huge crowds turned out across New York City Tuesday to vote in the U.S. general election despite frigid temperatures and some hastily relocated polling stations.  In the aftermath of "superstorm" Sandy, special voting arrangements were made to ensure as many eligible voters as possible could get to the polls.

Board of Election officials reported some problems early in the day at a small number of polling sites, some of which had been hastily set up after power outages and damage from Sandy eight days ago. Issues included late delivery of machines to some sites and late openings of polls.

Special buses were also deployed throughout the day to hard hit areas to shuttle voters to polling stations.  In some locations, multiple districts were consolidated into a single site, sometimes in a tent, where people could vote.

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order allowing registered voters, who are displaced, to go to any polling station to cast their ballot.

A voter walks between people waiting for their chance to cast their ballots at New York City Hall, November 6, 2012.
A voter walks between people waiting for their chance to cast their ballots at New York City Hall, November 6, 2012.


Concerns that voter turnout in the city might be lower than usual because of Sandy's after-effects seemed to diminish as the day went on and long voting lines were reported throughout the five boroughs.

The city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, encouraged voters to brave the cold and vote.

"Be patient, it's worth the wait to be part of the process," he said.

In addition to casting ballots for president, New Yorkers also had one U.S. Senate seat to fill as well as several state and local offices.

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