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Lost Primaries
September 9th, 2008

Some confusion unraveled on 33rd Street in Long Island City this morning when a couple of residents were turned away from the polls shortly after 10 a.m.

The reason: There was nothing to vote for.

Though these registered voters received a Board of Elections mailer probably sometime last week (You know the one urging you to head to the polls, which says: “Vote or Liberty is History”), which included their polling place, that flier does not necessarily guarantee an election in one’s district. Registered voters have to call a hotline or check Gotham Gazette to determine whether there is a contested primary in their area.

According to Marcus Cederqvist, the executive director of the city’s Board of Elections, the city is required by state law to mail every registered voter that pamphlet, which comes in four languages. He estimates the total cost of the mailing is $1.4 million.

Because of the constantly mutating candidates list, Cederqvist suggests it’s better to tell every voter there is an election, not just the individuals who live in a district with a contested primary at the time of the mailing.

“It’s honestly safer to send it out to all voters,” he said.

With the city’s controversial challenge system – mired in attempts to kick opponents off of the ballot, which advocates say can take the electoral process out of the polling place and into a courtroom – candidates can be removed from the ballot even a day before the election.

Just yesterday, Cederqvist said, a judge ruled a candidate could not make it on the ballot to run for the 6th Congressional District in Queens, and last week, candidates were kicked off for district leader positions in the 76th Assembly District.

While some may show up disappointed at their polling place today – with no ballot to cast – there are a number of races to watch, including: Conner v. Sqaudron, Martinez v. Espaillat, the Felder-Stewart-Parker race, the Silver-Newell-Henry contest and many more.

For a complete breakdown, visit our Guide for the Last Minute Voter and come back later for election results, which we will post as soon as we get them.

By Courtney Gross on September 9, 2008, 2:50 pm
In category: Gotham City | 4 Comments »

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4 Responses to “Lost Primaries”

  1. Larry Littlefield Says:
    September 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

    I believe that there is a specific provision in the state constitution that says voters have a right to an election EXCEPT IN A PRIMARY.

    So everyone has a right to show up in November and vote for the one and only name on the ballot.

  2. Damodar Says:
    September 9th, 2008 at 6:52 pm

    Anyone know what’s the quickest way to get election results? Any website releasing the results instantly?

  3. Elsewhere: McCain Goes After Paterson, Rangel to Amend Tax Returns | The New York Observer Says:
    September 9th, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    [...] Voters in Long Island City were turned away because, apparently, "There was nothing to vote for." [...]

  4. NYU Local - Local Politics…What? Says:
    September 12th, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    [...] votes. The local primaries are often criticized for lack of competition, ballot-bumping, and general confusion due to the exhaustive nomination and voting [...]

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