Were you in the 10% who voted in last week's election?

 
Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy
One week after the much heralded 2013 New York City primary election and New Yorkers are still waiting for the “final” results. Did Bill deBlasio, who clearly got more votes than any other candidate on the Democratic ballot, garner enough votes to avoid an October 1st run off election?

Here are two facts we do know for sure:
1.      Only about 20% of the eligible registered voters cast a ballot.
2.      There is an October 1 run-off regardless of whether or not there’s one for Mayor.
Fewer than half those eligible to vote have registered. If only 1 in 5 of the registered actually voted, that means only 10% of the people in New York City who could have participated cast a vote. 

The run off already determined is for Public Advocate – ironically the position deBlasio now holds – and it’s between City Councilwoman Letitia James and State Senator Daniel Squadron on the Democratic ballot. Only registered Democrats can participate. 
No citywide position could ever be without significance and this one offers a pretty large bully pulpit. But chances are if it isn’t pared up with a Mayoral runoff (which we may not know for another day or two) there’ll be a turnout far below the poor 20% turn out of last week.

It’s another example why we should all register and vote, and how powerful your vote is. 

For Care for the Homeless, and our partners in United to End Homelessness, this is another opportunity to raise public awareness about the issues of homelessness, lack of affordable housing for very low-income people and poverty in New York City, and most importantly about the policies and programs that could end homelessness as we know it.   

Email Jeff Foreman at policy@cfhnyc.org.  


 

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