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Recent Stories / November 7, 2005

Week of November 7, 2005

November 11, 2005

311 Expansion
Within a year New Yorkers seeking assistance on food stamps, job training and other social services will be able to get it by calling 311, according to a plan presented yesterday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The city is has reached an agreement with United Way through which the agency will direct callers inquiring about social services to the appropriate city agency or to one of 2,500 nonprofit groups. The program will cost $10 million to set up, and the city will pay United Way $12 million annually to maintain it. Bloomberg made repeated campaign promises to expand 311 in his second term.

November 10, 2005

Second Avenue Subway by 2012
The Second Avenue subway will be a reality by 2012, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chief Peter Kalikow said yesterday, citing the approval of the Transportation Bond Act on Election Day. The bond act, which allows the state to borrow up to $3 billion for transportation projects, dedicates $450 million to the line. The first leg of the new subway, which has been dubbed the "T" line, will run from 96th to 63rd Street. The MTA has set aside $2.5 billion for the project and plans to meet with lawmakers in Washington to secure promised federal funding.

Graduate Assistant Strike
About 1,000 graduate assistants went on strike against New York University yesterday over its refusal to bargain with or recognize their union. The Graduate Students Organizing Committee said its members will not teach, grade, advise students, or do research while on strike. Some professors are holding classes off campus in a show of solidarity.

November 9, 2005

Bloomberg Wins Resounding Victory
Michael Bloomberg was re-elected mayor yesterday, defeating Democratic challenger Fernando Ferrer by about 20 points, according to unofficial returns. This would be the largest margin of victory for a Republican mayoral candidate in the city�s history, topping Fiorello La Guardia's 19-point landslide in 1937. But the mayor was unable to help other Republicans, as members of his party lost three hotly contested races for open seats on the City Council and failed to oust any of the council�s Democratic incumbents. City Comptroller William Thompson, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and the four incumbent borough presidents seeking re-election won easily. In Manhattan, voters elected Democrat Scott Stringer as their new borough president.

New York State voters approved a $2.9 billion bond act to fund transportation projects, including some money for the Second Avenue subway and a link between the Long Island Rail Road and Grand Central Terminal. But they rejected a measure that would have changed the state budget process. City voters approved two changes to the City Charter.

For complete unofficial results, go to the Election Results Page,

For more coverage, go to Campaign 2005.

November 8, 2005

Election Day
Today is Election Day in New York. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

List of Candidates
For a full list of candidates, see Gotham Gazette's Guide for the Last Minute Voter.

Finding Your Polling Place
To find your polling place, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE. To contact the New York City
Board of Elections call 1-866-VOTE NYC or e-mail them at vote@boe.nyc.ny.us
with your complete address, and you should receive an email back instructing you where to vote. For more information, see Where Do I Vote?

First-Time Voters
New Yorkers who registered to vote in the state for the first time via mail after January 1, 2003 will be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license, when they go to the polls. For more information see What Do First Time Voters Need to Know?

Voter's Bill of Rights
The New York Voter�s Bill of Rights guarantees certain rights, such as not being coerced or intimidated by poll workers. For more, see What Are My Voting Rights?

Problems At The Polls
If you encounter problems at the polls, there are several numbers you can call. For a full list, see What If I Encounter Problems at the Polls?

Who Won?
Come to our site starting at 9 p.m. for the most important news about the election. For a list of the winners - posted as they are announced - go to our Election Results Page.

Tell Us About Your Election Day
Please share you own funny, frustrating or fulfilling experiences at the polls. You can do so by clicking here.

November 7, 2005

Election Day Tomorrow
The two major mayoral candidates are focusing on their "get out the vote" effort, both worrying that the lopsided polls would discourage their supporters from showing up to vote.

Voters must decide more than just who will be mayor for the next four years. There are four ballot proposals requiring a yes or no. There will be at least nine new members of the City Council because of term limits, and the remaining 42 incumbent City Council members all must run for reelection (though a dozen are unopposed). New Yorkers will also elect the public advocate, the comptroller, the borough presidents, as well as State Supreme Court justices, and judges to the Civil Court.

Gotham Gazette offers comprehensive coverage for New Yorkers who are confused about the four ballot proposals (we have an overview of them, as well pro and con essays), who missed the mayoral debates (we have transcripts of the two between Bloomberg and Ferrer) or who don't know the candidates' positions (check out our mayoral issues grid), who would like to know where their City Council representative stands on issues like local development or what the public advocate does (we have a page on each race, including a "campaign trail" that summarizes and links to articles written in the mainstream press going back to the beginning of the year). Start with our step-by-step Guide To The Last Minute Voter.


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