In The Rockaways, People Were Voting In The Dark

By Eyder Peralta

Published November 6, 2012 at 7:34 AM CST

Debris lay in front of homes in a Rockaway neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York, on Monday. The Manhattan skyline is seen in the background. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

"Here in the rockaways, people are voting in the dark. There are no lights, there is no heat."

That's how NPR's Robert Smith described the situation in the Rockaways, which is in one of the boroughs hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy in New York.

"There was supposed to be a generator running to run this entire polling place but when poll workers got there in the morning, they discovered it had no fuel," Robert told our Newscast unit.

Robert spoke to Jared Paine who said this is now considered normal around those parts. A helicopter could be heard hovering above as they spoke. And many New Yorkers cast their ballots inside tents.

"I expected this or something like this at least," Paine said.

"And you're willing to put up with it?" Robert asked.

"To vote, of course. You gotta put up with it."

Robert called us a few minutes ago to let us know that the generator is now running and the lights are now on.