Somerset County Polling Place Opens An Hour Late, Angering Voters

SOMERSET, NJ — It was a mess this Election Day morning at a Somerset County polling location and we're not talking about the weather. The Quail Brook Senior Center in the Somerset section of Franklin Township opened an hour and 15 minutes late, causing voters to wait and some to leave out of frustration.

Somerset County Board of Elections Administrator Jerry L. Midgette confirmed the hour and 15 minute delay.

"All we have been able to confirm is that the Manager of Quail Brook Senior Center was not there at 5:15 a.m. this morning to open up the facility for our poll workers to get in and set up for voting. We did eventually get access and began the voting process at approximately 7:15 a.m.," Midgette said.

Sean Canady and his girlfriend who recently moved to Somerset this spring arrived at Quail Brook at 6:30 a.m., 30 minutes after polls opened, to find a line of about 30 people waiting for the location to open.

By the time the keys arrived and the polling location opened, it was about 7:15 a.m.

"There were around 60 people in line by that point but I estimate 20 people had left out of frustration," Canady said. "The polling staff didn't say much to the crowd other than to apologize for the delay and to blame the delay on the person who was late with the keys. Nothing about extending polling due to the delay."

Read more: REAL-TIME RESULTS: 2018 NJ Elections, Key Races To Watch

Other Franklin Township residents took to Facebook to voice their frustration over trying to vote this morning.

"At 6 a.m. this morning, I found myself standing outside the Quail Brook Senior Center, along with the volunteers who were not able to get in the building??? Was election day a surprise? Disgraceful that the building was locked!!!! Disgraceful!!!!" Dee Juanita Marie said.

"At 6:25 this morning the Quailbrook Senior Center voting location was not open. If you vote there and could not get in, please make every attempt to get in later. Yes, your vote counts!" another resident posted.

“The polling is closed and there is a line. The workers do not have a key to the building and do not know when someone from the senior center will be there to open the building and several people have already left.”

This story is part of a journalism collaboration with ProPublica’s Electionland, a project that monitors voting problems across the country. If you had trouble voting, or if you saw something you want to tell us about, here’s how.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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