Tuesday seemed quite an ordinary day in Greenpoint, home to a large Polish community. Many people surveyed by "Nowy Dziennik" did not even realize it was a primaries day, in which New Yorkers were choosing party candidates for such positions as the governor, state attorney general and for seats in the state and federal legislature.

If it wasn't for some campaign posters displayed, here and there, in store widows and at the subway entrance, it would have been hard to notice that it was, in fact, the day of the New York Primary.

"It is not my business," said one Polish man shrugging his shoulders and dashing away when asked about elections. Another Polish immigrant, 69-year old Janina Borek, a retiree from Middle Village didn't even know it was the day of primaries. "I have lived in the United States for a couple of dozen years but I have never applied for citizenship so am not eligible to vote. Why would I care about American elections," she said.

Those who knew of the primaries being held on Tuesday, often were not able to vote. "First of all I have to little kids, whom I am focusing most of my attention on; secondly I am not a citizen yet," said Dorota Burzynski (37).

Barbara (58) would, in fact, like to vote but she does not have a regulated legal status yet, although she has lived in the U.S. for ten years. "I want to have a say. I am waiting for amnesty, which may happen if we chose the politicians who will support it," Barbara said.

The polling site at PS 34 on Norman Avenue in the heart of Greenpoint wasn't crowded at all in the morning. In a small group of mostly young hipsters who came to cast their votes around 8:45 am, there were no Poles. There was no Polish interpreter on the site, although members of the election committee stated they had asked for one with the Board of Elections. They added thought that federal regulation require the presence of interpreters of three languages only: Chinese, Spanish and Korean, and only in neighborhoods, where these communities live.

Greenpoint activist Krystyna Holowacz, who came to cast a vote around 9 am remarked that in general, there was no election fever in Greenpoint. Neighborhood residents also did not see too many candidates or campaign events this season. "The only exception was Joe Lentol, our assemblyman. But he is always around," Holowacz said.

In a phone interview with "Nowy Dziennik", Frank Milewski, president of the Polish American Congress, Downstate New York Division (PAC), said he hoped that at least the Poles his organization managed to register for voting during their "Register to Vote" actions in Greenpoint and Ridgewood, would go to the polls. "Only in this way we can have a say in this country – by voting," he added.

Some voters in Greenpoint complained that curtains in the old machines provided them with more privacy, others that the font used on the new ballots was too small. In fact, problems with the new machines were recorded in a couple of polling sites around the city. At the PS 34 the machines came after the polling site opened, and were not immediately available for use because their installation took some time.

A feeling of chaos was amplified by the fact there were a few dozens children in the same room getting ready for a morning line up as their teacher tried to explain they should be quiet because "people want to exercise their right to vote here."