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Can I vote in the November 2 general
election?
If you are registered to vote, you can vote in New York City’s November 2 general election, which will include races for City Council in certain districts, and may include elections for other offices as well as local and state ballot proposals.
I don’t know if I am registered to vote. How do I find out, and how do I register? If you do not know whether you are registered to vote, call the Board of Elections’ (“BOE”) voter assistance number, 212-VOTE-NYC, or, for the hearing impaired, call (212) 487-5496 to find out. If you are a registered voter, you should receive a notice from the Board of Elections telling you where your polling place is. If you do not get a notice, you can call the BOE’s voter assistance number, 212-VOTE-NYC, to find out whether you are registered to vote. October 8, 1999, was the last day to register for the November 2 general election. To register for future elections, you must fill out a voter registration form and file it in person or by mail with any of the following BOE offices: MAIN OFFICE MANHATTAN THE BRONX BROOKLYN QUEENS STATEN ISLAND Voter registration forms are available at these offices. You can also get a registration form and other information by calling 212-VOTE-NYC. You can print a registration form online from the BOE’s Web site www.vote.nyc.ny.us, or fill out a request online to have a form sent to you. However they are obtained, forms must be completed, signed, and either mailed or hand delivered to one of the offices listed above, because voter registration forms must have an original signature (in ink) to be valid. Please note: You cannot submit your voter registration form via the BOE’s Web site; you may only download or request one.
How long is my registration good for? You are still registered to vote as long as you have voted in at least one election in the past five years. Even if you have not voted in the past five years, you may still be able to vote this year because of a federal law. Call 212-VOTE-NYC for more information.
If you have moved since you last voted, you must change your address with the BOE by submitting a new voter registration form, and checking the box labeled “Address change.” If you have moved within New York City and you have not changed your address with the BOE, you may still be able to vote by going to your new polling place and filling out a form that will be available there. However, it is best to update your registration whenever you move by getting a voter registration form and sending it to the BOE with your new address.
What will I be voting on in the November 2 general election?
Who will be on the ballot in the November 2 City Council general elections? Candidates nominated by the eight political parties recognized by the New York State Election Law — Republican, Democratic, Independence, Conservative, Liberal, Right to Life, Green, and Working Families — may run in the general election and appear on the ballot. In addition, candidates nominated by independent parties may run in the general election and appear on the ballot.
Does this Voter Guide contain information about all the candidates who will be on the November 2 general election ballot? Not necessarily. This Guide only has information about candidates running for the office of City Council member in the 3rd, 4th, 48th, and 50th Council districts. It does not contain information about candidates for other offices that may be on the ballot, such as District Attorney.
Will all the candidates listed in this Voter Guide appear on the November 2 general election ballot? Not necessarily. It is possible that after this Guide goes to press, some candidates may drop out of the race or be taken off the ballot for legal reasons. Candidates can be removed from the ballot, or put back on the ballot, up until just a few days before the election. So there may be candidates listed in this Guide who do not appear on the final general election ballot. You should always check the sample ballot at your polling place before voting.
In what order are the candidates listed? A candidate’s statement appears in the Voter Guide according to the party line on which the candidate is running. As on the ballot, the order of the party lines is Republican, Democratic, Independence, Conservative, Liberal, Right to Life, Green, and Working Families. This order is set by the New York State Election Law. There may also be independent parties. These parties are listed in the Voter Guide in the order in which they filed their designating petitions with the Board of Elections, which is the order in which they will appear on the ballot.
How do I find information about the City Council candidates running in my district? Look at “The Candidates” to see a complete list of the candidates known to be running in your district at press time. “The Candidates” includes links to statements submitted by candidates for each district. Please note that some of the candidates running for City Council in your district may not have submitted statements to the CFB, or may have submitted statements too late to be included. These candidates will have an asterisk after their names on “The Candidates” page. If you are not certain whether you live in one of the four Council districts (3rd, 4th, 48th, or 50th) that is having City Council elections, check “Find Your District” to see if you live within the boundaries of any of these districts, check the notice sent to all registered voters by the Board of Elections, or call 212-VOTE-NYC.
What if there is only one candidate running in my Council district? It is possible that in some districts there will only be one Council candidate on the ballot. All Council candidates who submitted a statement and were on the ballot at the time the printed version of this Guide went to press appear in this Guide, even if they do not have an opponent. If there is only one candidate running for City Council in your district and you do not wish to vote for him or her, you may “write in” a candidate instead.
If I belong to a political party, do I have to vote for the candidate nominated by my party? No. In the general election you may vote for any candidate you choose, including write-in candidates, no matter what party you are enrolled in.
Will I be voting on anything in the general election other than political offices? You will also be voting on ballot proposals, which are questions placed before the voters to decide. Ballot proposals will appear on the right-hand side of the ballot.
You vote at your local polling place. If you are a registered voter, you should receive a notice from the Board of Elections telling you where your polling place is. If you do not have your postcard or you do not know where to vote, call 212-VOTE-NYC.
When I get to my polling place, where do I go? The notice you receive from the Board of Elections tells you what Assembly district (A.D.) and Election district (E.D.) you live in. These numbers are important because they tell you which voting booth to use. If you forget your A.D. or E.D. on election day, one of the election clerks will be able to tell you which booth to use.
Can I vote if I can’t get to my polling place on election day? You can vote by absentee ballot for a number of reasons, such as if you are away at school, on vacation, or a patient in a hospital. Call 212-VOTE-NYC to find out if you can vote by absentee ballot, and to request that an application for an absentee ballot be sent to you. To vote by absentee ballot, follow these two steps:
How can I get more information? The Board of Elections has a telephone number to answer questions from voters. To learn more about voting in this election, call 212-VOTE-NYC (212-868-3692), or, for the hearing impaired, (212) 487-5496. The Voter Assistance Commission is a nonpartisan government agency created to encourage more New Yorkers to register and to vote. The Commission identifies historically under-represented groups and works with other public agencies, private groups, and community-based organizations to encourage registration and voting. The Commission holds an annual public hearing after the general election to learn about experiences with voting in New York City and to make recommendations for improvements. The Commission also holds public meetings prior to the general election to discuss other voting issues. To find out when the annual public hearing will be held or to get more information, call (212) 788-8384, write to the Voter Assistance Commission, 51 Chambers St., Room 515, New York, NY 10007, or visit its home page at www.ci.nyc.ny.us/voter. This Web site has a searchable database with an up-to-date list of contributions by individuals and organizations to Campaign Finance Program participants.
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