New York Had Second Lowest Voter Turnout So Far This Election Cycle

Though there was great fanfare surrounding Tuesday's New York primary, the number of voters who actually showed up to cast a ballot was much less impressive.

From issues with polling places opening on time, to accusations of voting machine malfunctions, to reports of massive purge of 126,000 registered Democratic voters, there seemed to be no shortage of complications during Tuesday's highly-anticipated primary.

A man checks his documents before he cast his vote at a polling station in Brooklyn, New York during the New York presidential primary on Tuesday. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)

"It has been reported to us from voters and voting rights monitors that the voting lists in Brooklyn contain numerous errors, including the purging of entire buildings and blocks of voters from the voting lists," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "The perception that numerous voters may have been disenfranchised undermines the integrity of the entire electoral process and must be fixed."

Other New York primary voters claimed to have been switched from Democratic to Republican and vice-versa, according to CBS New York.

After showing voter card I signed book and given @democrat ballot. I asked for @GOP ballot, told no more and to wait pic.twitter.com/iFBo3whmI8

— John Burnett (@IAmJohnBurnett) April 19, 2016

Additionally, 27 percent of the electorate was unable to cast a ballot because they were not registered with the Democratic or Republican parties, both of which required voters to change their party affiliation 193 days before the April 19 primary.

In the end, only 19.7 percent of eligible New Yorkers voted — the second lowest turnout in next to the Louisiana primary, according to elections analyst Michael McDonald. And the Election Protection Coalition fielded more than 900 calls from frustrated voters Tuesday, more than in any other state's primary or caucus to date.

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