Rockland County residents get extended early voting hours this weekend

Voters in Rockland County got a little more time to cast their ballots this weekend.

News 12 Staff

Oct 31, 2020, 8:57 PM

Updated 1,407 days ago

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Voters in Rockland County got a little more time to cast their ballots this weekend.
With long lines much of the week at the early voting sites, some voters were left waiting hours. Some residents told News 12 they found the long wait times discouraging.
Attorney Perry Grossman with New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Friday night, asking the judge to extend the early voting hours in the county. The request was quickly granted.
“Everything that makes voting more difficult is a form of voting suppression," Grossman says.
Four of Rockland County’s early voting sites, including the one at Clarkstown Town Hall, were supposed to close at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, but now the hours have been extended to 4:30 p.m.
Rockland’s Board of Elections Democratic Chair Kristen Zebrowski Stavinsky says extending early voting hours was needed.
“Monday, when it was raining…and we still had the same level of interest in people waiting," she says.
However, Republican Commissioner Patricia Giblin believes the extra time won't make a big difference.
“Unfortunately, there was lines,” Giblin says. “I don’t think an additional hour…for example, Westchester gave an hour each day, and they still have long lines."
Though, lines outside Clarkstown Town Hall were already drastically shorter on Saturday afternoon.
Nicole Hirschler, a New City resident, says the judge's ruling is still a win.
"It will get more people out and get them voting," she says.