Comptroller Finds City Board of Elections Needs Management Overhaul

Comptroller Scott Stringer is calling for a management overhaul at the New York City Board of Elections.

In an audit released Friday, Stringer uncovered a host of problems in visits to 156 poll sites on three different voting days last year. The audit found problems at 90 percent of the locations, including poll watchers who weren't helping voters and inaccessible poll sites.

The audit was spurred by WNYC's report of a massive voter purge in Brooklyn ahead of last year's presidential primary.

Stringer says the poll-site problems are an "under-the-radar purge" that suppresses votes at each election.

"We looked under the hood of the Board of Elections and found massive mismanagement," Stringer told WNYC.

While the audit finds poll workers lack adequate training and oversight, Stringer doesn't blame the workers themselves. "The problem here is management," Stringer told WNYC.  

"Why are we forcing people to work 17 hours? Why don't we have split shifts? Why don't we expand the pool of the poll workers so we have an adequate supply come Election Day?" he asked.

Board of Elections executive director Mike Ryan said the agency is reviewing the audit and its recommendations.