Letters

Southampton Press / Opinion / Letters / 2405040
Nov 3, 2025

Turned Away

Perhaps to close out the discussion of the Working Families Party candidates, local voters should be aware of what happened during the primary election earlier this year.

I work as a poll official in Westhampton Beach, and we had a total of eight voters come in to cast ballots all day. None of them was a registered Working Families Party voter. And so, although they were well meaning, we had to turn them away, thanking them nonetheless for trying to exercise their right to vote.

There were at least 10 poll officials seated all day, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. There were two coordinators on hand, and there were several additional poll officials on hand to relieve those working. There was rent paid, freight and trucking of voting supplies and machinery. And there were numerous polling sites open throughout the Town of Southampton.

All of this cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, and conforming to the letter of the law added little to the spirit of the democratic process.

Jay Benzon

Remsenburg