NYC Municipal Elections Tuesday

Early Voting Ended Sunday 10.31.21 / Click on Image to Find Your Poll Site

November 1, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Well, election day have nearly arrived. In this election you'll be voting for those who will allocate the $90 billion annual NYC municipal budget, for those who legislate the local statutes in our communties, and who will play a major role in leading the narratives about life in NYC.

On the ballot Tuesday, are the candidates for the following offices: Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President and City Council. In addition to voting for candidates for these offices, there are five ballot initiatives.

NYC Ballot Initiatives 2021

Question #1. The Redistricting Process. This proposal contains a number of provisions modifying the redistricting process. The redistricting process is done every decade based on U.S. Census numbers to create voting districts. In the proposal is a freeze on the number of Senators, including incarcerated prisoners using their pre-incarceration home address and including all people regardless of their citizenship status in the districting process. It also changes how new districts are approved and subsquent schedule for certification and implementation.

My vote will be No. Too many initiatives stuffed into one package. Give us an option to vote on each initiative.

Question #2. The Right to Clean Air, Clean Water and a Healthful Environment. This proposal would grant citizens a right to clean air, water and a healthful environment by adding it to the NYS Bill of Rights.

My vote will be Yes. Seems reasonable.

Question #3. Same Day Voter Registration. Currently voters must register to vote ten days in advance of election day. This proposal wants to eliminate that ten day screening period. As this is a municipal ballot initiative, it wouldn't be binding, but rather as a rallying cry to change the law to enable more time for voters to register in future elections.

My vote will be No. Time should be allotted to verify voters registrations in advance of the election, otherwise election day and the thereafter could become an even more royal mess.

Question #4. No Excuse Absentee Voting. Currently one can only file for an absentee ballot if they expect to be out of town on election day. This proposal recommends that voters be allowed to vote via mail regardless of whether they expect to be in town or not on election day. As this is a municipal ballot initiative, it wouldn't be binding, but rather as a rallying cry to change the law to enable voting by mail in future elections.

My vote will be Yes. There's no reason why older people and folks with severe time constraints shouldn't be permitted to vote from the privacy of their home and mail in the ballot in advance of election day.

Question #5. Jurisdiction of the New York City Civil Court. The proposal wants to increase the jurisdiction of the NYC Civil Court to address claims of up to $50,000 versus the current limit of $25,000. Currently claims over $25,000 are heard by the NYS Civil Court. The impetus behind this proposal is to address the backlog of cases, which has grown since the pandemic.

My vote will be Yes. Seems reasonable.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the upcoming NYC municipal elections November 2021.

NYC Municipal Elections Tuesday

Early Voting Ended Sunday 10.31.21 / Click on Image to Find Your Poll Site

November 1, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.

Doing Your Homework on Candidates is as Important as Voting

If you scroll down this page, we have provided some coverage of the candidates vying in some of the major races, and some coverage of the top two NYC Mayoral candidates, which you may find of interest. We did a short piece on Curtis Sliwa in the October 25, 2021 Update [below] and a more in-depth one on Eric Adams on May 17, 2021 [also below].

You also still have time to do a bit of research on the candidates and the ballot initiatives using the internet, before you visit your local poll to cast your ballot, if you hadn't already voted early. Wikipedia is an immensely useful and mostly reliable source.

The graphic above right will take you to the NYC Poll finder, so you can input your address & zip to find your local poll site. Polls are generally open from 6 am - 9 pm. And be careful to observe the difference between the early voting poll sites versus the poll sites used on election day.

May the best people win.