First day of N.Y. early voting sees massive turnout

New York began its early voting period on Saturday, prompting long lines with people waiting to cast their ballots.

The big picture: America has seen an uptick in mail-in and early voting this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Social distancing and poll-worker shortages could make voting on Election Day a lengthy and potentially chaotic process, but early voting measures have still seen backlogs.

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A look at the scene...

Voting lines in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Voters outside the Barclays Center. Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

SEE IT

100s in line to vote, some there for hours, ahead of opening of polls for early voting, at 168th St. in Uptown Manhattan. Line goes all way around block and now starting to wrap around 2nd time.

This is unprecedented in NYC. We are in a whole new world. pic.twitter.com/c07hkYf8Uy

— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) October 24, 2020

I passed by an NYC early voting site today and the line wrapped around four blocks. It made my heart full to see so much enthusiasm for early voting like we've seen in other states.

Video by: https://t.co/Oa6i098JCs pic.twitter.com/5J7Mlvo8vv

— Rachel Glickhouse (@Riogringa) October 24, 2020

A Brooklyn voting site. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

NYC early voting starts today.

At this location in lower Manhattan hundreds of people (including me and my wife) are in a line that wraps around a city block more than once.

Polling location opened 40 minutes ago and folks started lining up at 7am.#VoteEarlyDay pic.twitter.com/MpgXihVk2R

— errol barnett (@errolbarnett) October 24, 2020