WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2010. By John F. Bailey. November 5, 2010:
In an exclusive interview with WPCNR News Thursday night, Robert Castelli, incumbent Assemblyman in the 89th Assembly District said there are 1,000 emergency ballots (handed out to voters, due to voting machine malfunctions during the Tuesday election in District 89) and 1,150 absentee ballots distributed before the election, including military ballots that could be out to be counted to decide his race with White Plains Common Council President Tom Roach.
Robert Castelli, Being Sworn in last February to the 89th Assembly District Seat. He hopes for a repeat ceremony in January, pending the results of the outstanding Emergency Ballots and Absentee Ballots, he says could number 2,200. He currently has a 142-vote margin. Tom Roach, his opponnent told WPCNR he, Roach was so thankful to the voters of White Plains for their great support that has made the race virtually a dead heat.
Invitation to Testify:
Westchester County Board of Elections Commissioners Reginald LaFayette, left, and Douglas Colety Invited by Castelli to Critique the new voting device performance.Wednesday, Mr. LaFayette and Mr. Colety went on record exclusively to WPCNR News calling for eliminating paper ballots and the state switching to a touch screen system.
Castelli severly criticised the County’s new optical scan voting machines.
He said as a member of the State Assembly Election Law Committee, if he returns to
“A Nightmare.”
Asked how he felt about the election and the new machine experience, Castelli called it “a bloody mess,” and later in the interview, “a nightmare.”
He said when he voted he had to attempt to insert his ballot three times before the machine registered it. He said the secrecy was compromised by the “rickety” writing tables where citizens marked their ballots. He said the ballot was too small and hard to read, and the machine ability to read the circular strip was highly sensitive and appeared that unless the circle was completely filled in, the vote would not register.
The state Castelli said “has created a ridiculous solution to a non-existant problem. The old lever machines were great. Each of these machines cost the state $10,000, but they don’t perform like a $10,000 piece of equipment. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.”
After all Election Districts are in, Mr. Castelli leads Mr. Roach by 142 votes.
Castelli said that reporting of voting machines computer chip results resumed Thursday with all machine results now in for all 110 Election Districts. He said the machines had all been impounded at a request of a court order filed by one of the Supreme Court Judge Candidates, sealing the Emergency Ballots. Castelli said he expected the absentee and emergency ballot counting for the continuation of the 89th district count to resume Wednesday November 10.