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Guide for the Last Minute Voter: The 2008 Primary


To find out who won and who lost, go to Gotham Gazette's election results page.

Barack Obama just spelled out his vision of America before a packed football stadium in Denver. John McCain and Sarah Palin prepare to make their case to the American people. And in Flatbush, voters are deluged by campaign flyers singing the praises (and sins) of Simcha Felder and Kevin Powell.

As most of America focuses on the presidential election, New Yorkers have a local primary to think about. People in other states can mull who would be better able revitalize a shaky economy and cope with chaos in Pakistan, while New Yorkers get to consider whether the Rainbow Rebellion deserves more power in the Bronx and rivalries in the Chinese community in Flushing.

As in every even-numbered year, the entire State Senate and State Assembly, as well as all members of Congress, and a number of judges and party functionaries must face the voters. Because Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans in many city districts, the key contests for a number of positions could come in the Sept. 9 primary and not in the Nov. 4 general election.

Despite that, many voters will be shut out of the action on Sept. 9 Only voters registered with a party having a primary can vote on Tuesday. And even their choices are limited.

As usual, most incumbents do not face serious challenges. For example, only two of the city's 13 congressional districts offer primaries, and no legislative seats from Staten Island even appear on the ballot. Unless they live on Staten Island or in a sliver of Brooklyn, Republicans have nothing to vote for.

That said, the ballot this month does offer some important contests. The Bronx features a number of races, individual battles in the wider fight for control of the county party organization. Voters from both parties will select nominees to run in November for what has been the city's only Republican congressional seat. And a handful of competitive State Senate races will set the stage for the showdown in November -- when Democrats will try to wrest the state Senate from Republican control.

Gotham Gazette offers a complete guide to the primary. For links to our articles on every competitive race for Congress, State Senate and State Assembly from New York City, see the box. For a guide to other races and for voter information, see below

Manhattan Surrogate's Court:

Three Democrats are facing off for a 14-year term at the Manhattan Surrogate Court, which oversees wills, adoptions and estates.

The candidates all have close ties to estate law in the city. Nora Anderson had been the chief clerk at the court for three years. For more than a decade, John Reddy has served as counsel to the department of the Manhattan public administrator's office, which oversees the distribution of estates without wills. Manhattan Justice Milton Tingling oversees some guardianship cases.

The candidates are looking to replace Renee R. Roth, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Manhattan has two surrogate court judges, the other being Kristin Booth Glen.

The Surrogate's Court has faced repeated allegations of cronyism, because its judges appoint attorneys to oversee the distribution of estates, allowing the attorneys to benefit financially. The court then can become a venue for doling out political favors. All three candidates have reportedly emphasized the need to do away with this public perception.

The party organization has backed Tingling, while Anderson received the endorsement of the New York Times.

In the latest campaign-finance filing period, Anderson received $21,185 in contributions, Reddy received $36,795 and Tingling garnered $9,400.

Civil Court Judge, The Bronx

Three candidates are competing in a hotly contested race to fill a vacancy on Civil Court in the Bronx. Like many of the other primary contests in the borough this year, this judicial race is being viewed as a proxy fight in the larger battle between the party organization and a group dubbed the Rainbow Rebellion. The dispute also has its racial dimensions. The organization's candidate, Maria Matos, is Puerto Rican; the rebellion's Elizabeth Taylor, is black.

Matos currently serves as a court attorney in Bronx Civil Court, according to her Web site, while Taylor is principal law clerk for the Bronx County Supreme Court. Verena Powell, a former assistant district attorney, is in private practice and the candidate of the Rising Voice coalition. Some see her candidacy as a boost for Matos since she is black and could split that vote.

By many accounts, the race is not only emblematic of the rift in the Bronx but has also deepened it. Members of the Rainbow group are reportedly angry that Assemblymember Jose Rivera, the leader of the Bronx Democratic organization, opted to back Matos instead of Taylor. The New York Times has "enthusiastically" endorsed Taylor.

Whoever wins will face Republican/Conservative Marcos A. Pagan III in November.

Civil Court Judge, Manhattan

Voters must decide between Nancy M. Bannon and Michael L. Katz, who both currently serve as clerks on the state Supreme Court. The seat became vacant in mid May, near the filing deadline, when Judge Shirley Kornreich was promoted to an interim seat on the state Supreme Court.

Katz has reportedly raised far more money than Bannon. Some people in legal circles have questioned whether Bannon tried to conceal a $13,000 loan she gave to her campaign. She claims any mistake was a result of bad advice from the state Board of Elections and that the dispute is " wasting everybody's time."

Bannon received the endorsement of the New York Times, which described both candidates as "able and committed to making the legal system more accessible for less-wealthy litigants," but said that "Bannon's thoughtful manner and depth of legal experience give her the edge." Bannon also received an endorsement from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, while the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats endorsed Katz.

Civil Court, 1st Municipal Court District, Brooklyn

Lawyers Roger B. Adler and Devin P. Cohen are facing off in a Brooklyn Civil Court primary, which covers Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and parts of Park Slope. Both candidates are attempting to distance themselves from the Brooklyn party machine, which has had a longstanding reputation for corruption.

Adler is the former attorney for the former Brooklyn Democratic party boss, Clarence Norman, who has since been found guilty for embezzling campaign funds. Although he has won the backing of Brooklyn Party Boss Vito Lopez, Adler is reportedly boasting that a lack of endorsements testifies to his distance from the party machine.

Cohen, a member of Community Board 6, has received backing from local politicians, including City Council members Letitia James, Bill de Blasio and David Yassky. He has also won over the Independent Neighborhood Democrats and Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats.

State Party Committee

State committees are the official party organizations. Most Assembly districts get two members -- one male and one female -- elected by party members in that district. Often these elections, little noticed by many voters, involve larger battles for party control between two or more factions.

This year, there are contests for the Democratic State Committee from Assembly districts 69 and 72 in Manhattan; 78, 79, 80, 83, 85 and 86 in the Bronx; 40 and 55 in Brooklyn; and 22 in Queens;

The Independence Party State Committee will elect members from district 68 in Manhattan, district 54 in Brooklyn; districts 24, 26 and 27 in Queens; and 60, 61 and 62 on Staten Island.

None of the other parties are having contests for state committee posts.

District Leaders

District leaders are intermediaries between the major political parties and the community in which they are elected. Together they form the governing bodies of the Democratic and Republican parties within their respective counties. The position is often seen as a stepping-stone to higher office, and many times is held by members of the State Assembly or City Council. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch started his political career as a district leader.

Each district elects a male and female representative. District leaders serve four-year terms, are not paid and work within the political parties. "The way to think of them is not as a 'block captain,' but as a 'neighborhood captain,'" according to Alex Carabelli, deputy director of Grassroots Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps community members get elected to local office. "They help coordinate petitioning and local campaigns, and anything else the parties are doing in the community."

District leaders select poll inspectors, clerks, supervisors and translators to fill the various poll worker positions on Election Day. They also serve as ex-officio members of the County Committee Executive Board.

Contested elections for district leader often reflect wider battles for party control, which could explain why so many district leader positions from the Bronx will be on the Democratic Party ballot this year. At least two factions -- the party organization of Assemblymember Jose Rivera and a group calling itself the Rainbow Rebellion, are seeking control of the Bronx party. There will be contests in the borough's 76th, 79th, 80th, 82nd -- Part A, 83rd and 85th districts.

In Queens, Democrats in district 22 -- Part A, district 22 -- part B and 32 part A will select district leaders. The party in the 22nd is split between activists aligned with City Councilmember John Liu and supporters of former Assemblymember Jimmy Meng and his daughter -- and Assembly candidate -- Grace Meng.

Judicial Convention Delegates

A number of candidates on Tuesday are seeking election to posts that some New Yorkers want to eliminate. They hope to be delegates or alternative delegates to state judicial conventions. Those elected attend a meeting to vote on their party's candidates for state Supreme Court - New York's main trial court. Their action at these meetings tend to be "a formality because the bosses have usually picked the nominees beforehand," Carol DeMare has written in the Albany Times Union.

In the meantime, though, the positions exist, and a lot of people run for them. In Manhattan's 72nd Assembly district, 26 people are vying for seven delegate posts, while 22 people want to be alternate delegates. There are also Democratic contests in Manhattan's 75th Assembly district; the 76th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 82nd, 83rd, 85th, 86th districts in the Bronx; the 40th district in Brooklyn; and the 22nd district in Queens.

The Independence Party has a contested race for delegate to the Judicial Convention from the 61st district on Staten Island.

Where and How to Vote

The election will be Tuesday, Sept. 9, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only registered voters who have registered in a party at least 25 days before the election can vote. If you have moved within your election district, you can still vote. But if you moved to another election district you must have notified the Board of Elections of your new residence - unless you moved within 20 days of the election. Then you can still vote in your old district.

In primary elections in New York people can vote only in the party in which they are registered.

You should have received a notice in the mail telling you where to vote, or you can go to the Board of Election's poll site locator or call 1 866.VOTE-NYC. This number can provide you with other information as well, such as registration deadlines.

On its Web site, the Board of Elections also has instructions for how to work the voting machine.

If you cannot get to the polls, you can vote by absentee ballot.

Absentee ballot applications can be obtained calling the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE-NYC, e-mailing a request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or downloading one from the board's Web site.

To cast your vote, you can deliver the ballot to the board's office in your borough or mail it to the borough office. To be counted, an absentee ballot must be postmarked by the day before Election Day -- in this case Sept. 8 -- and must reach the Board of Elections no more than seven days after the election.

If the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail has passed and you cannot appear at the polls on Election Day because of an accident or sudden illness, you may send a representative with an authorized letter to receive an absentee ballot application and absentee ballot and return both to the Board of Elections by 9 p.m. on Election Day at your borough office.

Ballot Marking Devices

This year, voters will see a new addition to their poll site on Election Day. The Board of Elections will put a ballot marking device -- or BMD -- in place at every polling location to allow disabled voters to cast their ballots independently and privately at their own poll site for the first time here. The devices are part of the New York State Board of Election's plan to bring the entire state into compliance with the Help America Vote Act by the 2009 elections.

This first phase of the plan means that all voters -- disabled or not -- can cast their ballots with the assistance of what might be described as an electronic pencil. Voters put a paper ballot into the BMD and then select from a number of different formats for casting their vote. The machine can read the ballot to you with the audio function, it can display enlarged text for those with vision problems, it can accommodate two switch paddles and sip and puff devices, and it can do so in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

For detailed information about the BMDs and instructional pictures the Board of Elections has information here. You can also find frequently asked questions and videos there.

First-Time Voters

New Yorkers who registered to vote for the first time via mail may be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license, when they arrive at the polls.

Voters without a driver's license can also offer a copy of one of the following:

  • valid photo ID
  • current utility bill
  • bank statement
  • government check or other government document that shows the voter's name and address.

Those who do not have any form of identification or decline to supply one will be allowed to vote by paper ballot, not in the machines, according to the Board of Elections. Those votes will be counted only if they are verified to match registration forms.

The new rules are part of the federal Help America Vote Act, which Congress passed after the turmoil in Florida during the 2000 presidential election.

What If You Encounter Problems at the Polls?

If a poll worker says you are not on the list, ask an inspector to verify that you are at the correct election and assembly district for your address. If you believe that you are eligible to vote, you can ask for a paper or affidavit ballot. After the election, the Board of Elections will check its records and your vote will be counted if you are deemed eligible to vote and were at the correct polling site.

 

 

Running Under Indictment in the West Bronx


ny state senate district 33

The Democratic primary in this swath of the west Bronx " shapes up as the toughest taste test since the Iran-Iraq War," Tom Robbins recently wrote in the Village Voice. The contest features two candidates who have faced repeated questions about their integrity and ethics.

The primary also includes Richard Soto, who operates a real estate company and served as chief of staff for former Bronx City Councilmember Israel Ruiz. Soto will remain in the ballot -- as the Republican and Independence candidates -- in November regardless of what happens in the primary. For the primary, though, Soto "largely been an absentee candidate," according to the Norwood News. William J. Sullivan is the Conservative Party candidate.

Incumbent Ephrain Gonzalez, runs while under indictment on federal charges alleging that he used hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for non-profit organizations for his own use, including personalized cigars. Gonzalez, who maintains his innocence, is set to go on trial in October -- after the primary.

Despite being under indictment in 2006, Gonzalez, a former bus driver who has held the office since 1989, won the general election with 97 percent of the vote.

His opponent, former City Councilmember and State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. was the subject of a public corruption investigation but never was charged, according to Robbins. Later three executives of his Soundview Health Centers pleaded guilty to steering $30,000 from various health programs into Espada's political campaigns. Questions have arisen over whether he really lives in the Bronx district, although he has apparently survived an effort to disqualify him from running this year.

The Bronx Democratic organization is supporting Gonzalez. Espada earned its enmity for bucking the party organization and for allying himself with Senate Republicans when he served in the legislature.

Espada does have more money though. At the July filing, he had $35,623.51, compared to a negative balance of $10,856.55 for Gonzalez. Soto, who spent $32,175.62, had a balance of $11,044.38.

 

Filling a Last-Minute Vacancy


ny state assembly district 86

Update: In this contest for an open seat, Castro defeated Soto in the Democratic primary and will face Campbell on the Conservative and Republican lines on Tuesday.

Only days after Luis Diaz filed his petitions to run for re-election to the State Assembly, Gov. David Paterson named him as his downstate government and community affairs person. The party organization then selected a successor to run or the post: Nelson Castro, a former chief of staff to Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat.

In the primary, Castro faces Mike Soto, brother of Richard Soto, who is running for State Senate in the 33rd district. But according to the City Room blog, " Soto has campaigned little if at all."

Soto did try to get Castro knocked off the ballot, questioning his residence: It seems Castro and his girlfriend -- and nine other adults -- all list the same one bedroom apartment as their address. Even though a Board of Election referee found Castro "less than credible," he got to stay on the ballot.

Lisa Marie Campbell plans to run in November on the Republican, Independence and Conservative lines.

Another Special Election


queens District 30 candidates
District 30 Candidates: Charles Ober, Elizabeth Crowley, Thomas Ognibene, and Anthony Como

The unofficial results are as follows: Como received 2,352 votes, Crowley has 2,282 votes, Ognibene has 1,031 and Ober has 752. This does not include absentee ballots. Currently, a Board of Elections official said, there are 196 unopened absentee ballots -- certainly enough to topple Como's lead of 70 votes. We will continue to update you as results trickle in.

 

Four candidates, two Republicans, two Democrats, one woman, three men and the opportunity to widen the partisan gap in the New York City Council by yet another seat.

The 30th district -- a Republican pocket of New York City that has served as one of the council's remaining conservative strongholds (in context of an overwhelmingly Democratic city) for nearly the last two decades -- is the scene of yet another special election. After now-disgraced, former Councilmember Dennis Gallagher stepped down as a result of a plea bargain on rape charges in April, the 30th, which comprises a swath of quasi-suburban communities from Middle Village to Ridgewood, has become center stage of council politics.

A pool of six candidates has been whittled down to the four who will face voters on June 3. Though a nonpartisan election, the two major parties have made their selection: for the GOP, Anthony Como, former counsel to State Sen. Serphin Maltese and Queens County Board of Elections commissioner, and on the Democratic side, Elizabeth Crowley, who ran against Gallagher in 2001 and whose cousin heads the Queens Democratic Party and is a member of Congress.

They battle Democratic candidate Charles Ober, an openly gay civic leader who has clinched some of the county's independent endorsements, and former Republican City Councilmember Thomas Ognibene, who served in the seat for a decade before being forced out by term limits in 2001.

The Apolitical Race

In a small, windowless room in P.S. 49 in Middle Village, four candidates passed a microphone back and forth while fielding questions on development and urban planning issues late last month.

Crowley touted her experience as an urban planner. Como described his record of community service. Ober committed to hiring a land use expert to address overdevelopment and Ognibene reiterated his experience.

This was just one event in what has become a two-month series of forums and debates in a race where no clear frontrunner has emerged.

All the candidates have, in one way or another, gleaned some sort of political know-how -- whether in Albany, in City Hall or on the streets of Glendale. All also have to leave their party affiliations behind -- at least officially -- as is required in special elections. The practice is supposed to limit the influence of powerful party leaders, since special elections often have low turnouts and can easily assure the victor of a seat for years to come (Incumbency, whether for four years or several months, sways voters in the city).

As a result, the candidates have adopted their own political label. Como is stumping on "People First," while Crowley has tweaked her slogan to "Schools First." Ober is running on "Community First," and Ognibene is using "Experience Counts."

But whoever wins the title of councilmember on June 3, cannot rest for long. City law requires another special election in November to determine who will serve the remainder of Gallagher's term, which ends in 2009. Then, the successful candidate would face another election in just a year in order to serve a full four-year term.

These candidates, however, claim to be up to the challenge.

The Issues

The 30th district has not been immune to the criticism that has plagued the City Council of late. In addition to the slush fund scandal, residents in Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth and Glendale also were hit hard by the circumstances of Gallagher's resignation.

As a result, some community leaders say any potential successor will have to re-establish the trust and support of the community.

In addition, candidates face a plethora of other issues, including overcrowded schools, overdevelopment and flooding. Historical row houses are threatened by inconsistent zoning regulations, which could bring development that many see as out of character with the rest of the community. Their next councilmember, residents say, must also confront the loss of small businesses and address the area's transportation woes -- much of the neighborhood is no where near a subway.

All of the candidates have voiced support for preserving the district, including urging the city to move forward with downzoning regulations (Here is a survey filled out by the candidates for the Historic Districts Council, which addresses preservation and land marking issues).

They must also raise funds to preserve and move Maspeth's St. Saviour's Church -- a structure from the early 1800s threatened by development. And then there is flooding, which often inundates Middle Village and Maspeth.

On many of these issues, the candidates have voiced similar positions: They intend to balance development and preservation in order to protect the character of the district.

Some of the candidate's differences, however, have been seen elsewhere.

Sticking to the Issues -- Or Not

Crowley calls herself an "environmentalist." She drives a hybrid, has a master's degree in urban planning and two kids in the public schools. She's been a resident of the area all of her life. Her parents served on the City Council, representing some of the same neighborhoods she now is vying to take over.

Her critics cite nepotism, saying she is just another member of a politically powerful family and not necessarily representative of the change the neighborhood needs. Given the council's tainted reputation currently, her Democratic opponent cites fines Crowley incurred from the city's Campaign Finance Board following her 2001 race, where she failed to respond to allegations of fraud.

The Glendale resident has also received flak from a powerful neighborhood civic organization for skipping a debate in order to attend a local newspaper's editorial meeting.

Crowley has landed several key endorsements, including those of council members Joseph Addabbo and Eric Gioia, Rep. Anthony Weiner and Rep. Joseph Crowley, who is her cousin, and several Assembly members. She has raised far more than any other candidate at $159,400, and garnered more signatures than anyone else as well.

In contrast to Crowley's green perspective, Ognibene says he will not be "duped" by global warming, though he said he does recognize reducing emissions is worthwhile. While the veteran candidate has been successful at playing up his experience -- most of his answers are accompanied by anecdotes of his time as council minority leader, and he claims to be the only candidate competent enough to handle a marathon election. "When you have three budgets coming up, there is a learning curve to become a City Council member," Ognibene said on NY1's "Inside City Hall." "I think I have the experience and knowledge, and I'll be ready on day one."

Ognibene, though, cannot escape references to scandal either. Gallagher was Ognibene's protégé. Before that, Ognibene, who ran for mayor in 2005 against Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was mired in his own scandal in 2001 when he was accused of taking bribes from a buildings consultant. Ognibene has raised $35,365 and received nearly $60,000 in public matching funds.

Como, the leading Republican candidate based on endorsements, has cast himself as an experienced candidate who worked in the community for years with Maltese. A former assistant district attorney, the Middle Village resident has cited senior services and keeping taxes down as key issues in his campaign.

But Como's competence to serve has also been questioned. During a debate on NY1, Ognibene asked him what the capital budget consists of. Como could not answer the question. Como has also been criticized for snubbing the same debate Crowley had and for challenging his Republican rivals at the Board of Elections earlier in the race.

Como has received endorsements from the county Republican Party, and state senators Maltese and Martin Golden. He has raised $48,230 in private funds and received more than $75,000 in the city's matching funds.

Ober has defined himself as the independent candidate in this cast and played up his financial background. The Ridgewood resident belongs to several area civic associations and is the former president of the Queens Pride House, a gay and lesbian community center. The Juniper Park Civic Association, known as powerful political group in the area, has called him competent.

Ober has also gained the endorsement of several gay and lesbians organizations in the city and of mayoral candidate and council maverick, Councilmember Tony Avella. Ober also received an endorsement from The New York Times. He has raised $23,744 in private funds.

 

November 6, 2007 General Election Results


The following General Election results are based on the unofficial vote tally as reported by the New York City Board of Elections. The results below are subject to change as the official count is made public.

BRONX

 

Justice of the Supreme Court Winner
Justice of the Supreme Court - 12th Judicial District George Villegas

 

District Attorney Winner
District Attorney - Bronx Robert Johnson

 

Proposal
Proposal Number 1, An Amendment - Citywide  

BROOKLYN

Justice of the Supreme Court Winner
Justice of the Supreme Court - 2nd Judicial District, Vote for 4  

 

Surrogate Winner
Surrogate - Kings  

 

Judge of the Civil Court Winner
Judge of the Civil Court - County - Kings, Vote for 4

 

City Council Winner
Member of the City Council - 40th Council District Mathieu Eugene

 

Judge of the Civil Court Winner
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 3rd Municipal Court District - Kings Dawn Marie Jimenez
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 5th Municipal Court District - Kings Noach Dear
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 6th Municipal Court District - Kings Katherine Levine

MANHATTAN

Justice of the Supreme Court Winner
Justice of the Supreme Court - 1st Judicial District, Vote for 4 Fern Fisher
Charles Ramos
Sheila Abdus-Salaam
Paul Feinman

 

Judge of the Civil Court Winner
Judge of the Civil Court - County - New York, Vote for 3 Harold Beeler
Dorothy Chin Brandt
Robert Reed

 

Judge of the Civil Court Winner
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 1st Municipal Court District - New York Lucy Billings
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 9th Municipal Court District - New York Andrea Masely
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 10th Municipal Court District - New York Geoffrey Wright

 

QUEENS

Justice of the Supreme Court Winner
Justice of the Supreme Court - 11th Judicial District, Vote for 3  

 

District Attorney Winner
District Attorney - Queens Richard Brown

 

Judge of the Civil Court Winner
Judge of the Civil Court - County - Queens

 

Judge of the Civil Court Winner
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 4th Municipal Court District - Queens  
Judge of the Civil Court - District - 6th Municipal Court District - Queens William Viscovich

STATEN ISLAND

Justice of the Supreme Court Winner
Justice of the Supreme Court - 2nd Judicial District, Vote for 4  

 

Surrogate Winner
Surrogate - Richmond Robert Gigante

 

District Attorney Winner
District Attorney - Richmond Daniel Donovan

 

City Council Winner
Member of the City Council - 51st Council District Vincent Ignizio

 

Guide For The Last Minute Voter, 2007 General Election


In recent memory, most advocates and political observers cannot recall a sleepier election year. There are no citywide races. There are no real contests in the City Council. The ballot question doesn't even affect New York City residents.

The hottest race in town is for district attorney on Staten Island (who would have thought?)

Every three or four years, there is an off-election year, where voters are left to ponder judicial races with candidates handpicked by party bosses and large conventions. But this year, political observers said, there seems to be even less than usual.

Political junkies, though, can look forward to the next three general elections: a presidential election in '08; citywide races, including the mayoral race, in '09; and then the gubernatorial race in 2010. But for now many will be left listless, wandering their polling places desperately seeking some political furor.

For results of these races, come to Gotham Gazette this week as returns become available.

--Holding an Election

--Voter Turnout

--The District Attorney Race

--Surrogate Court

--City Council

--Supreme Court

--Civil Court

--The Ballot Question

--Voter Information

The Machinery of Democracy

Although there is a lack of controversial races this year, the process goes on, and it is not cheap. The cost of running an election in the city is between $15 million and $16 million, according to the Board of Elections.

The city, for all elections, recruits approximately 35,000 poll workers and each gets a $200 stipend, officials at the board said. The poll worker stipends add up to about $7 million.

The cost for a primary and general election, said Valerie Vasquez Rivera, the board's communications director, tend to be comparable. During a primary, she added, the board must print a larger variety of ballots; during a general election, they must recruit more poll workers.

Given such costs, some have argued that sleepy election cycles should be eliminated and elections consolidated.

"Would you save money?" asked Neal Rosenstein, an election specialist at the New York Public Interest Research Group. "Yes. Would you increase turnout in the lesser-known judgeships? Would the folks that are voting on those races be more informed?"

That is debatable, he added. "The proponents of off year elections have always said it allows voters to focus on those elections," said Rosenstein.

Before the primary, the New York City Board of Elections mailed reminders to the city's nearly 3.8 million registered voters. The cost of all of the board's literature, sent out in English, Spanish, Korean and Chinese, said Vasquez Rivera, is $1.2 million.

The city's Campaign Finance Board sends more detailed voter guides in multiple languages to registered voters. The latest figures it had for the cost of those brochures, a spokesperson said, was in 2005, when the board sent 5 million out for 50 cents each. This year, because there are significantly less races, far fewer were sent out.

Though a general election comes with a fairly large bill, factor in a primary and the several special elections bound to pop up in a single year and the check could be significant.

But it's all for democracy -- right?

Voter Participation

In recent years, voter turnout has stagnated at approximately 36 percent in the city for a general election. During the 2004 presidential race, that number jumped to 65 percent. But for a primary, that number is far lower.

The most hotly contested race in September was the Democratic contest for Surrogate Court judge in Brooklyn. Only 5 percent of voters turned out. During judicial contests, said Adrienne Kivelson, an election specialist at the League of Women Voters of the City of New York, most voters ignore the political process, and many who do pull the lever are likely to be involved in party politics.

"People are really not informed of who these judges are," said Kivelson. "It doesn't have the kind of attention that other elections have. I think that it's unfortunate."

Officials at the Board of Elections are not expecting fireworks on Tuesday. The process will be the same as any other general election, said Vasquez Rivera, but a little lighter.

At the New York Public Interest Research Group, Rosenstein said they would continue to operate their voter help hotline. But, he added, he expects a "sleepy" day.

"In 2004, there were 3,000 phone calls on our help line," he said. "This year, I'm hoping for three."

For those who do want to vote, or follow the races that are taking place, here's a summary.

District Attorneys

Officially three of New York City's five district attorneys are up for re-election this year: Richard Brown in Queens, Robert Johnson in the Bronx and Daniel Donovan on Staten Island. But neither Johnson nor Brown has any opposition on Tuesday. (The other two district attorneys -- Manhattan's Robert Morgenthau and Brooklyn's Charles Hynes will not face the voters until 2009 when Morgenthau will be 90 -- and he has reportedly been raising money for a re-election bid.)

District attorneys serve as the top prosecutors and chief law enforcement officers in their counties, investigating and prosecuting violations of city and state law. (For more on what a district attorney does, see The DA's of New York.)

On the Staten Island, there is a real contest for this post. Incumbent Donovan would seem to be a shoo-in for re-election: He won handily in 2003, borough-wide races there often go to a Republican, and he has been described as "rising star" of a party that clearly needs them. His opponent is Democrat Mike Ryan, a lawyer who has worked extensively in law enforcement.

The two men apparently do differ on issues, although that seems to be playing little role in the campaign. According to NY1, "Donovan supports the death penalty and says he doesn't support Governor Eliot Spitzer's plan to give illegal immigrants drivers' licenses. Ryan is not as clear on either issue."

Ryan stresses his background, work ethic and commitment to law. Donovan is running largely on his record, saying that he is revitalizing the office, improving the conviction rate, instituting a witness protection program and "using new technologies and laws to prosecute criminals in our community."

Several aspects of that record, though, have become issues in the campaign. Perhaps the most potentially damaging for Donovan is his office's handling of criminal charges against Steven Molinaro, grandson of Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro. After pleading guilty to assault charges arising from two separate attacks on 14-year-old boys, the court ordered the younger Molinaro to steer clear of his victims. But Molinaro then allegedly drove by the house of one of the boys and glared at him. Molinaro was then convicted of violating his parole and sentenced to five years in prison. All this was done by officials from Brooklyn to avoid any possible conflicts.

But that has not kept grandfather Molinaro from blaming Donovan. The borough president took out a full-page ad in the Staten Island Advance denouncing Donovan, and the borough president, a Conservative who was also elected on the Republican line, has endorsed Democrat Ryan for district attorney. Molinaro has claimed that to avoid the appearance of impropriety, Donovan dealt more harshly with his grandson than he would have with other similar defendants.

Other controversies revolve around whether Donovan has accurately reported conviction rates. Ryan has aired a commercial featuring a woman who addresses the camera and says, "DA Donovan let the man who sexually abused my daughter off free...Thanks to you, Mr. Donovan, there is a sexual abuser walking the streets."

But if this looks like a classic dirty campaign, think again. "Even during this campaign, we're gentlemen. We respect each other," Ryan told NY1.

In the Bronx, District Attorney Johnson, who has served since 1988 when he became the state's first black district attorney, received a rating of not approved from the New York City Bar Association. The organization does not offer details on its decisions beyond saying an unapproved candidate has failed "to affirmatively demonstrate that he possess the requisite qualifications" for the office.

The bar association may have withheld its seal of approval from Johnson because he declined to meet with them, according to The Politicker. Attending that meeting, Johnson has said, "would have accomplished nothing, while taking away from the operation of my office, communicating with the citizens of the Bronx, and spending quality time with my family." The district attorney has also said the association seeks "to have candidates 'kiss its (proverbial) ring.' I, for one, will never do that."

Richard Brown, the other district attorney running unopposed, received the bar association's approval, as did both Staten Island candidates.

City Council

Two City Council races will be on the ballot this Tuesday, one in Brooklyn and one in Staten Island. Each are a result of special elections after Yvette Clarke vacated her seat in the 40th district in Brooklyn to go to the U.S. Congress and Andrew Lanza left his seat in the 51st district on Staten Island to go to the State Assembly.

The winners, Mathieu Eugene in Brooklyn and Vincent Ignizio in Staten Island, are now seeking to finish the remainder of their council terms, which last through 2009.

Ignizio, a former state Assemblyman and one of only three Republicans on the City Council, is unopposed. Not surprisingly, according to the latest records from the Campaign Finance Board, he has raised only $105.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Finance Board said a candidate can roll over funds to another election cycle as long as he or she returns public matching funds, currently set at $4 for every $1.

Eugene's faces a Republican challenger, Clarence Joseph John. It's the third election of the year for Eugene, the first Haitian to serve on the council. Following the special election in February, controversy arose over whether Eugene actually lived in the district. To settle any accusations, Eugene requested another special election, which he won in April. He was finally sworn in in May.

Both candidates have filled out questionnaires from the city's Campaign Finance Board, which are available here.

Eugene identifies health issues and access to health care as the most important issue facing the district. John, a native of Trinidad and a licensed electrician who owned his own company, said the district needs to increase city services, from police to affordable housing.

Through the end of October, Eugene has raised $24,474, according to the Campaign Finance Board. John has not registered with the board.

The Surrogate

Though the Democratic primary attracted some attention in September, the Kings County Surrogate Court race has not been talked about much since. Diana Johnson, who won the primary with about 59 percent of the vote against Democratic Party-backed ShawnDya Simpson, faces Republican Theodore Alatsas.

In Brooklyn, Democrats are usually favored, and Johnson is practically guaranteed victory.

The Surrogate Court oversees wills, adoptions and estates and has long been tied to political cronyism. Because the surrogate appoints attorneys as guardians of large fortunes, sketchy political tradeoffs and cronyism can flourish. The term is 14 years.

Johnson has sat on the state Supreme Court in Brooklyn since 2001 and was endorsed by Citizens Union, the sister group to Gotham Gazette's publisher, Citizens Union Foundation. She was also endorsed by the Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, City Council members Letitia James, Albert Vann, Mathieu Eugene and Charles Barron as well as numerous state Senate and Assembly members. Here is a questionnaire she filled out for Citizens Union earlier this year.

Alatsas, an attorney, has been a frequent Conservative candidate. He ran for Brooklyn borough president in 2005, Kings County district attorney in 2001 and the state Assembly in 2002, all unsuccessfully. He received a bachelor's degree from New York University and graduated from St. John's School of Law.

Johnson's candidacy received approval from both the Brooklyn and city bar associations, while Alatsas did not.

Supreme Court Judges

Voters in several parts of the city will choose judges for the state Supreme Court on Tuesday. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, the state Supreme Court is not an appeals court but the main trial court with general jurisdiction. The judges serve 14-year terms. Candidates for the bench run on party lines. Unlike candidates for other offices, they are selected by delegates to judicial conventions, not in a primary election. Delegates to the convention were selected in the September primary.

The system has been widely condemned for giving too much power to party organizations. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of the conventions. The court has not yet issued its decision.

Although some races appear on the ballot, experts contend the contests rarely are competitive. "Winning the nomination is usually tantamount to winning the election.... The candidate who appears on the Election Day ballot in New York City is usually the Democrat, who may or may not be endorsed by other parties but who almost always wins either way. Other parties may field their own candidates, but with little expectation of winning," Judge Emily Jane Goodman wrote in Gotham Gazette.

That does not have to keep you from voting, though. These are the contested races for Supreme Court judge:

--Brooklyn and Staten Island (2nd Judicial District): Four candidates are vying for six openings. They are: L. Priscilla Hall, Albert Tomei, Larry Martin and Robert Miller, all of whom have the backing of Republican and Democratic parties (Miller gets the Conservative nod too) and Conservatives Paul Atanasio, Dennis Houdek and Ross Brady. The four candidates with the Democratic and Republican endorsements have received the bar association's nod as well, but the association rated all three of the candidates running solely as Conservatives as "not approved."

Hall, Martin and Tomei are already Supreme Court judges. Miller is a partner in a firm specializing in international law. (For more, on the candidates, click here.)

Queens (11th Judicial District): Six candidates are competing for three openings here, with each major party offering three candidates. The Democrats are Denis Butler, keneth Holder and Steven Paynter. Kerry Katsorhis, Theodore Stamas and Joseph Kasper are the GOP candidates.

All but Kasper and Katsorhis, both lawyers in private practice, have bar association approval.

Butler and Holder are Civil Court judges, Stamas is a lawyer in private practice and Paynter serves as a Criminal Court judge. (For more on the candidates, click here.)

Civil Court Judges

In various communities around the city, the ballot will feature contests for Civil Court judge. The Civil Court decides lawsuits involving claims of up to $25,000, with a small claims division involving cases with up to $5,000. It also has a housing part to hear cases involving landlord-tenant disputes and housing violation proceedings. Judges on the Civil Court serve 10-year terms.

Over the past several months, one contest in Brooklyn has attracted some attention because of the man seeking the post: former City Councilmember Noach Dear. Dear has been charged with ethical lapses, of being hostile to gays and even of once having supported the apartheid-era government of South Africa. The bar association has not approved him, and during the primary for the seat from the Fifth Municipal Court District, most of the city's newspapers endorsed his opponent. According to the Daily News, Dear has given conflicting statements about if, when and how he practiced law. Dear won the primary anyway.

Given the Democratic advantage in the district and Dear's high name recognition, he seems likely to win again on Tuesday, though he does have an opponent: James P. McCall, who is running as a Republican and a Conservative. In an editorial endorsing McCall, the Daily News described him as a lawyer for more than 30 years, who currently works as a senior court attorney for a judge. McCall has been approved by the bar association. Dear has not.

For more on Brooklyn Civil Court candidates, click here.

These are the other Civil Court contests:

-- Bronx (1st Municipal Court District): Democrat Donald Miles, a principal law clerk to a state Supreme Court judge, faces Paul Indig, a litigation attorney who appears on the Republican and Conservative lines. (For more on the candidates, click here.)

--Brooklyn (countywide): Eight candidates are competing for four seats. The Democratic Party has four candidates: Debra Silber, Frederick Arriaga, Carolyn Wade and Robin Sheares. The Republican Party has nominated three candidates, who also have the Conservative line: Vincent Martusciello, Michael Reinhardt and Philip Smallman. Another candidate, Thomas Stadnik, appears only on the Conservative line. Only three of the eight -- Arriaga, Silber and Wade -- have bar association approval.

Silber already serves as a civil court judge. Arriaga is counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Sheares lists herself as self-employed, Wade is principal law clerk to a state Supreme Court judge, Reinhardt is an attorney in private practice and Smallman has run for judge before -- without success. (For additional information, on Brooklyn Civil Court candidates, click here.)

--Queens (4th Municipal Court District): Democrat Cheree Buggs is running against Republican Robert Beltrani. Beltrani is an administrative law judge with the state Division of Parole. Buggs has served as counsel to the City Council's Committee on Oversight and Investigation. She is approved by the bar association; Beltrani is not.

Ballot Question

Voters may be a little perplexed when they read their ballot question on Tuesday, considering it refers to the water supply in Hamilton County upstate.

To make it more baffling, the action voters are confronted with has already occurred. If approved, the question would allow the town of Long Lake to use one acre of state property for water wells. In exchange, the state will acquire 12 acres of land elsewhere in the town. Because the water in Long Lake was unfiltered and potentially hazardous, the state Department of Environmental Conservation gave the town extraordinary permission to begin drilling in 2004.

To drill wells for groundwater in preserved forests, a constitutional amendment is needed. According to the League of Women Voters in New York City, there appears to be no opposition to the amendment.

BEFORE YOU GO TO THE POLLS

Where and When Do I Vote?

The election will be this Tuesday, November 6, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only registered voters who have registered at least 25 days before the election can vote.

You should have received a notice in the mail telling you where to vote, but if you do not have it, you can go to the Board of Election's poll site locator or call 1 866 VOTE-NYC. This number can provide you with other information as well, including registration deadlines.

On its Web site, the Board of Elections also has instructions on how to work the voting machine.

Absentee ballot applications can be obtained by calling the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE-NYC or e-mailing a request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot has already passed. If you have not requested one and you cannot appear at the polls on Election Day because of an accident or sudden illness, you may send a representative with an authorized letter to receive an Absentee Ballot Application and Absentee Ballot and return both to the Board of Elections by 9 p.m. on Election Day at your borough office.

If you are disabled and cannot vote independently or privately using New York's Shoup lever machines, or if you are interested in new voting technology, you can vote at your borough's Super Poll Site. These sites are equipped with ballot marking devices (BMDs) that function as an electronic pen to mark a voters choices on a paper ballot. The machines feature a screen that displays the ballot to the voter and are equipped with audio recordings of the ballot, compatibility with sip and puff devices, rocker paddles with foot controls, large font displays and voice activated, voice output technology. They are designed to allow disabled voters to cast their own votes without assistance.

You can also find detailed directions and information about the Super Poll Sites, poll site accessibility and disability voting rights issues at the Center for Independence of the Disabled, 212 674-2300.

The Board of Elections says that it has increased efforts to make polling places accessible for senior citizens and handicapped voters, but they admit there are still problems at some sites. Voters who feel that their polling site is inaccessible should call the Voter Registration Unit of their local borough office for information.

First-Time Voters

New Yorkers who registered to vote for the first time via mail may be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license, when they arrive at the polls.

Voters without a driver's license can also offer a copy of one of the following:

-- valid photo ID
-- current utility bill
-- bank statement
-- government check or other government document that shows the voter's name and address.

Those who do not have any form of identification or decline to supply one will be allowed to vote by paper ballot, not in the machines, according to the Board of Elections. Those votes will be counted only if they are verified to match registration forms.

The new rules are part of the federal Help America Vote Act, which Congress passed after the turmoil in Florida during the 2000 presidential election.

What If You Encounter Problems at the Polls?

If a poll worker says you are not on the list, ask an inspector to verify that you are at the correct Election and Assembly District for your address. If you believe that you are eligible to vote, you can ask for a paper or affidavit ballot. After the election, the Board of Elections will check its records and your vote will be counted if you are deemed eligible to vote and were at the correct polling site.

If you encounter problems at the polls, call one of the following places:

-- New York Public Interest Research Group: 212 349-6460

-- League of Women Voters Election hotline: 212 725-3541.

-- New York Civil Liberties Union: 212 607-3300

For assistance in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Hindi, Khmer and English, call the Asian American Legal Defense Fund at 800 966-5946.

 

Guide for the Last Minute Voter


This story was updated on September 19 to include unofficial election results.

2007 gives a new meaning to the term “off year” election, and the primary looks especially sleepy. Many New Yorkers – even those voters in good standing registered with one of the major parties – will simply have nothing to vote for on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

The big action will occur in Brooklyn where there are three spirited contests for judgeships. Elsewhere, many of the contested offices are for internal party posts followed by only the most ardent political aficionado.

Perhaps the most notable thing about this election may be when it takes place. Instead of occurring on the second Tuesday of September – the usual primary day – it is being held on the third. The second Tuesday fell on 9/11 – the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks -- and officials felt it was improper to vote that day. That decision prompted Clyde Haberman of the New York Times to scoff, “We can shop, and go to a ballgame, and make money. But allow our democracy to function normally? Nope. That is somehow incompatible with Sept. 11.”

Voters despairing on the lack of political action can look to the future though. A general election in November may feature some races not on the primary ballot. And after that it is only three months to February – and the presidential primary.

In the meantime, here is a guide for the September 18 votes:

--The non-races

--Surrogate Court

--Civil Court

--District leader

--Party committees

--Delegates to Judicial Convention

--How to vote

--Voting rights

--First-time voters

--Problems at the polls

Beginning Tuesday night, Gotham Gazette will provide results of the election as they become available.

The Non-Races

Perhaps more notable than the contests that will take place this week are those that will not.

Three of the city’s five district attorneys are up for re-election in 2007: Robert Johnson in the Bronx, Richard Brown in Queens and Dennis Donovan in Staten Island. None of them faces a primary challenge, even though Brown just went through a controversial year fueled by the police shooting of Sean Bell and the indictments that eventually followed, while Donovan, the one Republican among the city’s DAs, is only finishing his first term.

The next full-scale City Council election is not scheduled until 2009 when citywide offices and borough presidents also will face the voters, but two council members are up for re-election this fall. The two – Mathieu Eugene of Brooklyn’s 40th district and Vincent Ignizio of Staten Island’s 51st -- were elected in special elections to fill vacancies earlier this year. (Actually Eugene went through two special elections.)

Given the large number of candidates who ran in the 40th and the controversy surrounding his residency, many observers expected Eugene to face some opposition. But at least for the primary, Eugene, like Ignizio, is unopposed.

Surrogate Court

If there’s a marquee race on Tuesday, it’s the Brooklyn contest to elect a judge for the Kings County Surrogate Court. Either of the candidates in the Democratic primary, Diana Johnson and ShawnDya Simpson, could have been Brooklyn’s first black surrogate. In the end, Johnson won with about 59 percent of the vote. She will face Republican candidate Theodore Alatsas in November, in Brooklyn a Democrat is usually the runaway favorite.

Although it had the potential to further crack the glass ceiling – Brooklyn’s other surrogate is Margarita Lopez Torres – and break racial barriers, the race was mired in court challenges and politics, prompting some to refrain from wholeheartedly endorsing either candidate in the closest and only competitive race in the 2007 primary, according to some political observers.

A court that some view as inconsequential and unnecessary, the Surrogate Court oversees wills, estates and adoptions. The judges can appoint attorneys as guardians, allowing them to collect lucrative fees. This has led to charges of cronyism and corruption, as political party bosses use their influence to get their candidates elected, expecting that their judges will return the favor in guardianship appointments. That issue is particularly volatile in Brooklyn, where critics charge the selection of judges has been particularly corrupt.

The state government created a second Surrogate Court judge for Brooklyn two years ago (Manhattan has two; the other boroughs each have one) allegedly to create a job for then outgoing Assemblymember Frank Seddio. But Seddio resigned earlier this year after only 18 months on the job because he was reportedly under investigation by a judicial conduct commission.

This election is to fill that vacancy for a 14-year term. Both candidates have ties to party bosses – one to the current leaders, the other to the former, and convicted, party chief.

Johnson ran for the Surrogate Court two years ago at the urging of Clarence Norman, the former Brooklyn Democratic leader who was convicted on three felony counts for accepting illegal campaign contributions. She lost to Torres, who was generally seen as a reform candidate.

Simpson has the backing of the current Democratic leader, State Assemblymember Vito Lopez.

Adding to the controversy, Simpson’s Brooklyn residency has been questioned. In a court challenge, Johnson claimed Simpson’s primary residence was not Kings County, but New Jersey, where her husband and children reside. The challenge was thrown out by an appellate court.

Both candidates have acquired approval from the New York City Bar Association. Simpson received an endorsement, albeit a half-hearted one, from The New York Times and full-fledged support from The Jewish Press.

Johnson has received support from Brooklyn’s reform-oriented political clubs, like the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and the Independent Neighborhood Democrats.

Johnson has also received endorsements from the Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, City Council members Letitia James, Albert Vann, Mathieu Eugene and Charles Barron as well as numerous State Senate and Assembly members.

Although it expressed concern over both candidates' connections to party politics, good-government group Citizens Union, the sister organization of Gotham Gazette’s publisher, ultimately endorsed Johnson in the race based on her experience.

Johnson has served as a justice on the state Supreme Court in Brooklyn since 2001 and has sat behind the bench in general since 1991. In a questionnaire from Citizens Union, Johnson identifies several problems in the court system she would like to tackle if elected. Specifically she hopes to incorporate both “uniform standards” to move cases along more swiftly and a resource center for those who represent themselves.

Simpson has served as a Manhattan Criminal Court judge since 2003 and is a former assistant district attorney in Kings County. She aligned her campaign with a reform agenda – one that hopes to weed out the surrogate’s notorious cronyism, which she identified as one of its biggest problems in Citizens Union’s questionnaire. She also suggests implementing time frames for court decisions.

When asked if they supported less party affiliation for judgeships, both candidates said they favored a more transparent selection system. Johnson and Simpson also stated they would support public financing of judicial elections.

Civil Court

On Tuesday there will be two primaries in the entire city for the Civil Court, both in Brooklyn.

The Civil Court, which has jurisdiction over civil cases involving amounts up to $25,000 and other civil matters referred to it by the state Supreme Court, includes a small claims court for matters less than $5,000 and a housing court that handles landlord-tenant matters and housing code violations. Each year, over 625,000 civil cases are filed in Civil Court in New York City. In total, 120 Civil Court Judges are elected to serve in the court, making New York City the largest civil jurisdiction court by volume in the United States.

Civil Court Judges are elected and serve terms of 10 years. Of the 120 Civil Court Judges, approximately 50 sit in the Civil Court. The rest sit in various other courts, including Criminal Court and Family Court. Many judges sit as acting Supreme Court justices. A judge elected in one county may also be assigned to sit in another county.

This year’s Democratic primary in District 6, which covers Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts, Midwood and parts of Crown Heights, featured a low-key race between Katherine Levine, a senior attorney with the statewide teachers union and Sharen Hudson, a former law clerk to Diana Johnson (the candidate for Surrogate Court judge), who works for the Red Hook Community Justice Center. Levine won.

The Democratic primary in the 5th Municipal District, encompassing parts or all of Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Sunset Park and Parkville., though, raised some eyebrows. Frontrunner Noach Dear has the support of Brooklyn political boss Vito Lopez and Borough President Marty Markowitz and a clear advantage in fundraising. In the election, he defeated former judge, Karen Yellen, getting about 60 percent of the vote.

Dear also has an array of critics. First elected to the City Council in 1983, Dear, a Democrat from Borough Park, served on the council for 18 years until he was displaced by term limits. He has failed in two runs apiece for Congress and the State Senate.

While still on the City Council, Dear drew the ire of his colleagues when he organized a trip for council members to South Africa, then ruled by the white minority apartheid government, and failed to tell them in a timely manner that the junket was funded by the whites-only Johannesburg City Council.

Dear has also had legal troubles. The attorney general substantiated a claim that he was improperly using funds from a nonprofit he founded to pay for personal expenses, such as travel as well as home and car phone service.

For his Civil Court race this year, Dear has raised over $147,000, roughly half of it from taxi corporations. A member of the Taxi and Limousine Commission since 2001, Dear is permitted to accept corporate funds - which would be prohibited if he were seeking city office - because Civil Court is a state position and regulated by the more lax state campaign finance laws.

Yellen, though lesser known in Brooklyn politics, has made a name for herself, largely as a witness for the prosecution in the trial of former political kingpin Clarence Norman. Yellen alleged that Norman forced her to dole out dollars allegedly to pay for campaign services for her 2001 race for reelection at the civil court -- services that Yellen has claimed she never received.

Having served on the bench for 10 years, Yellen finished third in the 2002 primary after her falling out with Norman, and she currently serves as a referee in Family Court.

The New York City Bar Association gave Yellen a rating of “approved” in their evaluation of judicial candidates. Dear, however, was not approved. The bar cited his “failure to affirmatively demonstrate that he possesses the requisite qualifications for the court for which he is a candidate.” In its editorial on the race, the New York Times reached a similar conclusion. It said that Dear’s “volatile personality and indifference to conflicts-of-interest makes him utterly unsuited for the bench.”

District Leaders

All 10 district leader contests this year are in Manhattan and they are all for Democrats. Six involve male district leaders and four are for female district leaders.

District leaders are intermediaries between the major political parties and the community in which they are elected. Together they form the governing bodies of the Democratic and Republican parties within their respective counties. The position is often seen as a stepping stone to higher office, and many times is held by members of the State Assembly or City Council. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch started his political career as a district leader.

Each district elects a male and female representative. District leaders are elected to four-year terms, are not paid and work within the political parties. “The way to think of them is not as a ‘block captain,’ but as a ‘neighborhood captain,’” says Alex Carabelli, deputy director of Grassroots Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps community members get elected to local office. “They help coordinate petitioning and local campaigns, and anything else the parties are doing in the community.”

District leaders select poll inspectors, clerks, supervisors and translators to fill the various poll worker positions on Election Day. They also serve as ex-officio members of the County Committee Executive Board.

On Tuesday, Democrats in Washington Heights and Upper Manhattan will elect their District Leaders. Assemblymember Adam Clayton Powell IV and incumbent Evette Zayas ran as a team in the 68th Assembly District, Part A. Powell defeated three other candidates -- Eduardo Franco, Edward Gibbs and Johnny Rivera -- for the male district leader position. But his running mate did not fare as well, losing out to Diane Green.

In District 72, Part A incumbents Mayra Linares and Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat successfully beat back a challenge from Judith Amaro and Kevin Campbell.

The most heated race for the district leader was for the female district leader in Assembly District 72, Part B in Washington Heights. Incumbent Maria Morillo, supported by Espaillat, faced three opponents. Her main competitor was Albania Lopez, the running mate of Councilmember Miguel Martinez, an the race between Morillo and Lopez reflected the conflict between their male running mates.

Espaillat and Martinez, who were once political allies and friends, had a falling out. Martinez left Espaillat’s political club, the Northern Manhattan Democrats for Change, and formed his own, the Democrats in the Heights. Also running for the female district leader position were Yocasta Sosa and Francia Rodriguez. Morillo defeated all of them to hold on to her post, but Martinez was elected male district leader.

Other races include male district leaders in the 68th Assembly District, Part B, which Manuel Onativia won, and District 70 Part A, where William Allen proved victorious, as well as male and female district leaders in the 68th Assembly District, Part C, won by John Ruiz and Marion Bell respectively.

Party Committees

There are more than 100 races for seats on county committees in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens in both the Republican and Democratic parties. The Board of Elections does ot expectto have unoffical results of these contests until September 21.

Part of the political party machinery, members of a county committee act as representatives for their political party on a very low scale. Usually their territory is only a few blocks and covers approximately 1,000 registered voters. Members of a county committee help select and endorse candidates for higher office.

In New York City thousands of these positions are often left vacant, according to the Grassroots Initiative.

In this week's primary, nearly 50 races are contested for Manhattan's Democratic county committee, one seat is contested for the Bronx Republican county committee and nearly 75 races are contested for the Queens Republican county committee.

One race in Queens includes none other than indicted City Councilmember Dennis Gallagher, who is appearing for the first time on the ballot since he was charged with several counts of rape and assault. Interestingly, Gallagher temporarily vacated his positions on several City Council committees and his role as minority whip after he was charged, although he remains in the City Council.

According to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board, council members can hold positions on county committees as long as they are not in a leadership role.

Republicans in Queens also got to choose delegates to their state committee in several Assembly Districts. Voters choose a male and a female committee member.

Judicial Convention Delegates

A number of candidates on Tuesday are seeking election to posts that some New Yorkers want to eliminate. There are several contests for delegates and alternatives delegates to state judicial conventions. Those elected will attend a meeting to vote on their party’s candidates for state Supreme Court - New York’s main trial court. Their action at these meetings tend to be “a formality because the bosses have usually picked the nominees beforehand,” wroteCarol DeMare in the Albany Times Union.

Formality or not, a lot of people want to go. In one Manhattan district, 24 candidates appear on the ballot seeking one of eight seats at the convention.

Democratic primaries for delegates to the convention will take place in the 68th, 72nd and 75th Assembly districts, all in Manhattan. Democrats in the 72nd and 75th districts can also choose alternate delegates.

In Queens, it’s Republicans who get to vote for delegates to the convention. There will be GOP primaries for delegates and alternate delegates in the 25th, 28th, 31st and 32nd districts. Dennis Gallagher, the Queens City Council member currently facing rape charges, also sought one of these posts (along with a seat on the county committee) but lost. Gallagher reportedly came in last among a field of six candidates seeking three seats.

Meanwhile, a federal district court and a U.S. appeals court have ruled that the entire convention system is unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the issue early next month.

BEFORE YOU GO TO THE POLLS

Where and When Do I Vote?

The election will be this Tuesday, September 18, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only registered voters who have registered at least 25 days before the election can vote. Since this is a primary, only registered members of parties with contests can cast ballots.

You should have received a notice in the mail telling you where to vote, but if you do not have it, you can go to the Board of Election's poll site locator or call 1 866 VOTE-NYC. This number can provide you with other information as well, including registration deadlines.

On its Web site, the Board of Elections also has instructions on how to work the voting machine.

Absentee ballot applications can be obtained by calling the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE-NYC or e-mailing a request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Those who wish to vote by absentee ballot have two choices. If you choose to vote by mail, an absentee ballot must be postmarked the day before the primary and reach the Board of Elections no more than seven days after the election. Or you can drop off an absentee ballot at one of the Board of Elections borough offices by 9:00 p.m. on Election Day.

If the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail has passed and you cannot appear at the polls on Election Day because of an accident or sudden illness, you may send a representative with an authorized letter to receive an Absentee Ballot Application and Absentee Ballot and return both to the Board of Elections by 9 P.M. on Election Day at your borough office.

What Is a Super Poll Site and Where Can I Find Mine?

If you are disabled and cannot vote independently or privately using New York’s Shoup lever machines, or if you are interested in new voting technology, you can vote at your borough’s Super Poll Site. These sites are equipped with ballot marking devices (BMDs) that function as an electronic pen to mark a voters choices on a paper ballot. The machines feature a screen that displays the ballot to the voter, and are equipped with audio recordings of the ballot, compatibility with sip and puff devices, rocker paddles with foot controls, large font displays and voice activated, voice output technology, all designed to allow disabled voters to cast their own votes without assistance.

If you would like to locate your Super Poll Site click below for a map:

Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx , Staten Island

You can also find detailed directions and information about the Super Poll Sites, poll site accessibility and disability voting rights issues at the Center for Independence of the Disabled, 212 674-2300

What Are My Voting Rights?

The New York Voter's Bill of Rights guarantees the right to:

. Vote: The right to vote includes voting for candidates and questions on the ballot.

. Have your vote count: Vote on a voting system that is in working condition and that will allow votes to be accurately counted.

. Secrecy in voting: Secrecy in voting will be preserved for all elections.

. Freedom in voting: Cast your vote, free from coercion or intimidation by poll workers or any other person.

. Permanent registration: Once registered to vote, you continue to remain qualified to vote from an address within your county or city.

. Accessible elections: Non-discriminatory equal access to the election system for all voters, including the elderly, disabled, alternative language minorities, military and overseas citizens, as required by federal and state laws.

. Assistance in voting: You may ask for help in voting because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.

. A ballot in another language: Voters anywhere in New York City are entitled to a ballot in Spanish. Voters in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens have the right to a ballot in Chinese, and Queens voters must be able to obtain a ballot in Korean.

. Instructions: You can view a sample ballot in your polling place prior to voting, and before entering the machine, you may request help in how to operate the machine.

. Absentee voting: If you will be out of your county of residence on Election Day or are unable to go to your polling place due to illness or physical disability, you may cast an absentee ballot.

. Affidavit voting: Whenever your name does not appear in the official poll book, you will be offered an affidavit ballot.

First-Time Voters

New Yorkers who registered to vote for the first time via mail, may be asked to provide identification, such as a driver's license, when they arrive at the polls.

Voters without a driver's license can also offer a copy of one of the following:

. valid photo ID

. current utility bill

. bank statement

. government check or other government document that shows the voter's name and address.

Those who do not have any form of identification or decline to supply one will be allowed to vote by paper ballot, not in the machines, according to the Board of Elections. Those votes will be counted only if they are verified to match registration forms.

The new rules are part of the federal Help America Vote Act, which Congress passed after the turmoil in Florida during the 2000 presidential election.

What If You Encounter Problems at the Polls?

If a poll worker says you are not on the list, ask an inspector to verify that you are at the correct Election and Assembly District for your address. If you believe that you are eligible to vote, you can ask for a paper or affidavit ballot. After the election, the Board of Elections will check its records and your vote will be counted if you are deemed eligible to vote and were at the correct polling site.

The Board of Elections says that it has increased efforts to make polling places accessible for senior citizens and handicapped voters, but they admit there are still problems at some sites. Voters who feel that their polling site is inaccessible should call the Voter Registration Unit of their local borough office for information.

If you encounter problems at the polls, call one of the following places:

- New York Public Interest Research Group: 212 822-0282

- League of Women Voters Election hotline: 212 725-3541.

- New York Civil Liberties Union: 212 607-3300

For assistance in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Hindi, Khmer and English, call the Asian American Legal Defense Fund at 800 966-5946.

Candidates List from The New York City's Board of Election

Manhattan
- Democratic Candidates for District Leader
- Democratic Delegates to the Judicial Convention
- Democratic Candidates for County Committee

Bronx
- Republican County Committee Candidates

Brooklyn
- Democratic Candidates for Surrogate and Civil Court Judges

Queens
- Republican Candidates for State Committee
- Republican Delegates to Judicial Convention
- Republican Candidates for County Committee

 

Reporting for this story was done by Courtney Gross, Doug Israel, Gail Robinson and Andrea Senteno. 

 

September 18, 2007 Primary Election Results


The following Primary Election results are based on the unofficial vote tally as reported by the New York City Board of Elections. The results below are subject to change as the official count is made public.

Major Races Winner
Brooklyn Surrogate Diana Johnson
Brooklyn Civil Court Judge - District 5 Noach Dear
Brooklyn Civil Court Judge - District 6 Katherine A Levine

 

 

DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT LEADERS Winner
Female District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 68 Part A Diane Green
Female District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 72 Part A Mayra Linares
Male District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 68 Part A Adam Clayton Powell
Male District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 68 Part B Manuel Onativia
Male District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 68 Part C John Ruiz
Male District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 70 Part A William A Allen
Male District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 72 Part A Adriano Espaillat
Male District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 72 Part B Miguel Martinez
Female District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 68 Part C Marion L Bell
Female District Leader - Democratic Leadership District 72 Part B Maria Morillo

 

PARTY COMMITTEES - Democratic County Committee - Manhattan Winner
County Committee - Election District 98/Assembly District 65 (3 people)  
County Committee - Election District 38/Assembly District 66 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 45/Assembly District 66 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 65/Assembly District 68 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 42/Assembly District 70 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 6/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 8/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 10/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 13/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 14/Assembly District 72(2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 15/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 16/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 19/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 25/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 26/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 28/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 29/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 31/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 36/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 38/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 39/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 43/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 44/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 48/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 51/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 56/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 57/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 58/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 63/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 65/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 66/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 70/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 71/Assembly District 72 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 101/Assembly District 74 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 29/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 34/Assembly District 75 (3 people)  
County Committee - Election District 35/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 39/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 40/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 41/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 42/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 46/Assembly District 75 (2 people)  

 

PARTY COMMITTEES - Republican County Committee - Bronx Winner
County Committee - Election District 23/Assembly District 83 (2 people)  

 

PARTY COMMITTEES - Republican State Committees - Queens Winner
Male State Committee - Assembly District 22 Peter A Koo
Male State Committee - Assembly District 23 Eric Ulrich
Male State Committee - Assembly District 25 Stephen E Graves
Male State Committee - Assembly District 26 Philip Ragusa
Male State Committee - Assembly District 28 Richard A Metzger
Female State Committee - Assembly District 22 Meilin Tan
Female State Committee - Assembly District 23 Jane Deacy
Female State Committee - Assembly District 25 Sheila E Peralta
Female State Committee - Assembly District 26 Gloria A Piekarski
Female State Committee - Assembly District 28 Virginia Donnelly

 

PARTY COMMITTEES - Republican County Committees - Queens Winner
County Committee - Election District 13/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 17/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 18/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 42/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 43/ Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 44/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 46/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 50/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 51/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 52/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 55/Assembly District 23 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 1/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 3/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 4/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 5/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 6/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 8/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 11/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 19/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 20/Assembly District 25 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 1/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 3/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 4/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 11/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 13/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 36/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 37/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 45/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 52/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 53/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 54/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 59/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 66/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 67/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 71/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 72/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 87/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 95/Assembly District 26 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 1/ Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 2/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 3/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 4/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 5/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 6/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 7/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 8/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 9/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 10/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 11/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 14/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 15/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 16/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 17/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 18/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 19/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 20/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 21/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 22/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 24/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 38/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 49/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 52/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 53/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 54/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 55/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 78/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 89/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 94/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 100/Assembly District 28 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 38/Assembly District 32 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 41/Assembly District 32 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 43/Assembly District 32 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 45/Assembly District 32 (2 people)  
County Committee - Election District 42/Assembly District 32 (2 people)  

 

JUDICAL CONVENTIONS - Democratic Delegate to Judicial Convention - Manhattan Winner
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 68 (8 people) Bill Perkins
Brenda Colon
Brenda Barrett
Joyce Johnson
Sandra Ramos
Rafael Rodriguez
John Ruiz
Johnny C Rivera
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 72 (7 people) Evelyn Linares
Diogenes Perdomo
Miguel Martinez
Marina Torres
Ricardo Urena
Wyatt Johnson
Ruben Dario Vargas
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 75 (12 people) Andrew Berman
Mary A D'Elia
Mae Doris Corrigan
Dolly Londono
Carla Nordstrom
Lucille R Ognibene
Paul J Groncki
Eleanor L Mulligan
Lynn R Kotler
Paul J Bokun
Maarten Dekadt
Lucas A Ferrara
Alternate Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 72 (7 people) Miguel Pena
Hector Vasquez
Joan Serrano Laufer
Milagros Medina
Isabel Evangelista
Manny De Los Santos
Nurys De Oleo
Alternate Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 75 (12 people) James R Grogan
Judy Richheimer
John Amodeo
Marc Krasnow
Rigina A Hogan
Gloria Sukenick
Estelle D Katz
Carol Cramer
Joseph Walsh
Phyllis Gonzalez
Hope Bernstein
Ruth Shapiro

 

JUDICIAL CONVENTIONS - Republican Delegate to Judicial Convention - Queens Winner
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 25 (2 people) Sheila E Peralta
Stephen E Graves
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 28 (3 people) Marguerite R Adams
Richard A Metzger
John F Haggerty
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 31 Joseph F Kasper
Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 32 Katherine A James
Alternate Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 25 (2 people) William J Hurley
Cheng Wang
Alternate Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 28 (3 people) Lynda A Metzger
Bart J Haggerty
Virginia Donnelly
Alternate Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 31 Rosina Mendoza
Alternate Delegate to Judicial Convention - Assembly District 32 Joseph A Vidal

 

Poll Site Access for the Disabled


A year ago, disabled New Yorkers welcomed a historic change in voting law that allowed them to exercise a right many New Yorkers take for granted – casting an independent and confidential vote. “This year was one of the first opportunities for many individuals with disabilities to utilize voting technology to exercise an independent and private ballot,” said Matthew Sapolin, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilitiesand former co-executive of the Queens Independent Living Center after the 2006 election.

The changes, implemented for last year’s primary and general elections, let people vote using new “ballot marking” voting devices at special poll locations across the city. These same devices will probably be used for at least the next few elections. But while many in the disabled community hailed the use of ballot marking devices last year, they are not pleased that what was intended to be an interim solution now might be in place for the foreseeable future. In particular they are concerned that the law only requires one such device per county and that traveling to it can be time consuming and difficult.

This is far less than the federal Help American Vote Act (HAVA) requires. That law mandates that every poll site have at least one accessible voting machine and that every poll site be handicapped-accessible

So far, though, New York has been unable to meet HAVA’s requirements. In recognition of that, Governor Eliot Spitzer recently signed into law an extension of a September 1, 2007 deadline to begin using new machines. The new legislationwill allow New York State to continue to use its old-fashioned lever machines until a new voting system is implemented. It will also once again require that the Boards of Elections across the state provide disabled voters with the opportunity to use interim voting technology – ballot marking devices – to vote independently and privately.

Ballot Marking Devices

Historically, voting systems across the nation have not allowed disabled citizens to vote without the aid of a poll worker, friend or family member. In New York, the lever machines that have been in use since 1892, in one form or another, have not provided full accessibility for disabled voters.

Under HAVA, passed in response to the problems that plagued the 2000 elections, states are required to provide new voting technology that would allow disabled voters to vote much like voters who are not disabled. Ballot marking devices are one technology that helps accomplish this goal.

Ballot marking devices are most often used with paper ballot optical scan voting systems, and are equipped with various functions and capacities, such as audio recordings of the ballot, compatibility with sip and puff devices, rocker paddles with foot controls, large font displays and voice activated, voice output technology, to allow disabled voters to cast their own votes without assistance. For New York’s 3 million peopleliving with disabilities, this technology can be revolutionary.

The device acts as a “computerized marking pen” which produces a marked paper ballot. These ballots can be dropped in a ballot box and counted by hand or be cast using an optical scan machine. It is guarded from onlookers by a “privacy sleeve” as it travels from the ballot marking device to the box or scanner at the poll site.

In 2006, after the U.S. Department of Justice sued New York State for non-compliance with HAVA, the state implemented what is referred to as “Plan B” to partially comply with the disability requirements of HAVA. Every county in New York State — or borough in New York City — was required to establish at least one polling location with ballot marking devices in time for the 2006 primary elections.

As a result, the 2006 election marked the first time many disabled voters had the opportunity to vote privately and without assistance in New York State.

That year, the New York City Board of Elections set up five “super poll sites” - one in each of the Board of Election borough offices - that would include these machines. At an estimated $4,500 apiece, New York City purchased 22 Avante Vote Trakker devices– five each for Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, four in the Bronx and three on Staten Island.

The city Board of Elections reported that during the 2006 primary election 580 people voted using a ballot marking device. For the general election, the number increased to 1,201. Based on accessibility exit polls, the large majority of these voters were not disabled, but simply used the equipment because it was convenient.

Several advocacy groups attributed the perceived low turnout among the disabled to the location of the machines. They also said the city Board of Elections did not adequately alert the disabled community about the devices.

Location, Location, Location

While Commissioner Sapolin may have been speaking for many disabled voters when he said he was thrilled that ballot marking devices provided him with his “first opportunity to cast an independent ballot,” disability advocacy groups have been critical of the plan. They were less than thrilled that elections officials used borough offices as super poll sites, instead of fanning out the 22 ballot marking devices to more convenient locations across the city. Borough offices, advocates argue, while convenient for the board staff, are inconvenient and even inaccessible for many disabled voters.

An informal analysis shows that of the five Board of Elections borough offices, only one, Brooklyn, is near a handicap accessible subway station. “The main problem is the amount of travel involved, the lack of understanding of how long it can take a person to get from point A to point B in a neighborhood you don’t know,” commented Aaron Belisle, voter education and access coordinator for the Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY. For voters who live in the far corners of Queens or Brooklyn, getting to a poll station may be more than they bargained for, requiring them to travel long distances on the train and transfer to buses or negotiate transportation through Access-A-Ride. Trips can take up to half a day for some voters.

The map below demonstrates how far a voter would have to travel from Yankee Stadium, one of three handicapped-accessible subway stations where voters can catch a city bus to the Bronx super poll site.

Red flag marks Bronx super poll site. Green flag marks Yankee Stadium Subway Station.

To view the closest handicap accessible subway station to your borough’s super poll site click here: Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island.

Transportation was not the only barrier. “People were turned off because the process segregated the [disability] vote, you had to go to a separate location while everyone else could go down the block to vote,” said Belisle. “The BOE said there was low turnout, but it wasn’t the result of disinterest by the disabled community.”

The state Board of Election has apparently heard some of these objections. After receiving over 500 public comments, it recently voted down a proposal that would have further segregated the disability vote by only allowing “disabled” people to use the ballot marking devices.

The Future of Access

With the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of an entire new voting system, advocates are pushing for a more robust interim plan to meet the needs of the disabled community and live up to the standards outlined in HAVA. While the state mandates one location with ballot marking devices per county, the city Board of Elections can provide more than that. Presently, it has no intentions to expand access beyond the implementation plan of 2006 for the fall 2007 elections, when only a few contests, mostly judgeships, will be on the ballot. According to city board’s director of communications and public affairs, Valerie Vasquez, the board has been having “discussions” on the feasibility of increasing accessibility for the February presidential primaries.

While disability groups, such as CIDNY and New York State Independent Living Council, Inc., as well as civic organizations, such as NYPIRG, Citizens Unionand others would like the board to implement an interim plan providing for accessibility, there is no consensus as to what that plan should be. Some advocates are calling for the purchase of additional ballot marking devices, perhaps one per poll site, as soon as possible. But others question whether the state should buy devices costing $4,500 apiece that could become obsolete once the state and city finally decide what voting technology will replace the lever machines. Nevertheless, the state Board of Elections commissioners agreed this month to prepare a revised HAVA implementation plan, that if accepted by the Department of Justice, will require one fully accessible ballot marking device be available at every poll site by the September 2008 primary.

At the very least, most reform advocates would like the city board to make more effective use of the 22 machines it currently owns. They argue this can be done by spreading the machines out to several locations in each borough, or by making the designated super poll site, more accessible. It could, for example, be placed in a site frequented by disabled voters, such as at Selis Manor, a learning center and meeting place for the blind and visually impaired, in Manhattan.

The board has not ruled out these options, but neither has it warmly embraced them. It said it would cost money to fan the machines out to several locations or even move them to another site. In a telephone conversation, Vasquez said, “We feel it is important to have [super poll sites] in a controlled environment with trained staff while we prepare for full implementation.”

Based on the 2006 elections, it appears the city Board of Election needs to take further steps to ensure that disabled voters know about the sites and are able to get to them. Advocates argue that the board could forge stronger ties with the disability community and service providers and work with the MTA and Access-A-Ride to help get people to the site. The board did do some of this in 2006 with the help of the Voter Assistance Commissionand the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, but many argue that more could be done.

Disability advocates point out that, whatever twists the implementation of HAVA may go through, there are common sense steps the board can take to make voting more accessible for the disabled community. These include such simple measures as making more use of visual materials and reconfiguring tables and other furniture at polling sites so it does not block the path to voting machines. Such simple, cost effective actions could go a long way to ensuring greater poll site access on Election Day.

Doug Israel is director of public policy and advocacy for Citizens Union Foundation, which publishes Gotham Gazette. Andrea Senteno is program associate. Contributed reporting from David Brody, research and policy intern. 

2006 Election Results


The following results are based on the unofficial vote tally as reported by the wire services and, as much as possible, directly from the New York City Board of Elections. The official count from the Board of Elections can take weeks to complete and these results will be posted as soon as they are available. The results below are subject to change as the official count is made public.

U.S. Senate
Office Winners Date Posted
Seat 1 Election in 2010 -
Seat 2 Hillary Clinton 11/7/06

U.S. Congress
Office Winner Date Posted
Dist 5 - Queens Gary Ackerman 11/7/06
Dist 6 - Queens Gregory Meeks 11/7/06
Dist 7 - Bronx Joseph Crowley 11/7/06
Dist 8 - Manhattan Jerrold Nadler 11/7/06
Dist 9 - Queens Anthony Weiner  
Dist 10 - Brooklyn Edolphus Towns 11/7/06
Dist 11 - Brooklyn Yvette Clarke 11/7/06
Dist 12 - Brooklyn Nydia Velazquez 11/7/06
Dist 13- Staten Island Vito Fossella 11/7/06
Dist 14 - Manhattan Carolyn Maloney 11/7/06
Dist 15 - Manhattan Charles Rangel 11/7/06
Dist 16 - Bronx Jose Serrano 11/7/06
Dist 17 - Bronx Eliot Engel 11/7/06

Statewide Office
Office Winner Date Posted
Governor Eliot Spitzer 11/7/06
Lieutenant Governor David Paterson 11/7/06
Comptroller Alan Hevesi 11/7/06
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo 11/7/06

Bronx State Assembly Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
76 - Fordham, West Farms, Parkchester, Castle Hill Peter M. Rivera 11/7/06
77 - Highbridge, Morrisania Aurelia Greene 11/07/06
78 - Bronx Park South, Belmont, Fordham, Bedford Park, South Riverdale, Van Cortland Village, Marble Hill Jose Rivera 11/07/06
79 - Morrisania, Claremont, Crotona-Mapes, Longwood, Charlotte Gardens, Belmont Michael Benjamin 11/7/06
80 - Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, Van Nest, Pelham Bay, Van Cortlandt Village, Norwood, Bedford Park Naomi Rivera 11/07/06
81 - Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, Van Cortlandt Village, Marble Hill, Norwood, Woodlawn, Wakefield Jeffrey Dinowitz 11/7/06
82 - Co-op City, Throgs Neck, City Island, Locust Point, Edgewater Park, parts of Castle Hill, Westchester Square, Zerega Michael Benedetto 11/7/06
83 - Olinville, Williamsbridge, Wakefield, Edenwald, Eastchester, Fish Bay, Baychester Carl Heastie 11/7/06
84 - Highbridge, Melrose, Longwood, Mott Haven, Port Morris, Hunts Point Carmen Arroyo 11/7/06
85 - Bronx River, Harding Park, Clason Point, Hunts Point and Soundview Ruben Diaz 11/7/06
86 - Bronx Luis Diaz 11/7/06

Bronx State Senate Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
28 - South and West Bronx, East Harlem, Roosevelt Island, parts of North Yorkville, Upper Washington Heights Jose Serrano 11/7/06
31 - West Side of Manhattan, Northwest Bronx Eric Schneiderman 11/7/06
32 - Soundview, Castle Hill, Clasons Point, Hunts Point, Mott Haven, Melrose, Parkchester, Morrisania, Van Nest, West Farms, Bronx River Ruben Diaz 11/7/06
33 - Bronx Efrain Gonzalez 11/7/06
34 - Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Throgsneck, City Island, Woodlawn, Norwood, Wakefield, Yonkers, Pelham, Pelham Manor, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon Jeffrey D. Klein 11/7/06
36 - Bronx Ruth Thompson 11/7/06

Brooklyn State Assembly Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
40 - East New York, Brownsville Diane Gordon 11/7/06
41 - Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Flatlands, Canarsie, East Flatbush Helene Weinstein 11/7/06
42 - Flatbush, Midwood Rhoda Jacobs 11/7/06
43 - Crown Heights, Flatbush Karim Camara 11/7/06
44 - Park Slope, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, Windsor Terrace James Brennan 11/7/06
45 - Brighton Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Flatbush, Manhattan Beach, Midwood, Plum Beach, Sheepshead Bay Steven Cymbrowitz 11/7/06
46 - Bay Ridge, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, Marlboro, Sea Gate, high-rises of Brightwater, Luna Park, Trump Village, Warbasse Alec Brook-Krasny 11/7/06
47 - Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights and Midwood William Colton 11/7/06
48 - Boro Park, Dyker Heights, Kensington, Flatbush Dov Hikind 11/7/06
49 - Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Borough Park Peter J. Abbate 11/7/06
50 - Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, Downtown Brooklyn Joseph R. Lentol 11/7/06
51 - Sunset Park, Red Hook, Wyckoff, Gowanus, Windsor Terrace, South of Park Slope, Borough Park, Boerum Hill Felix W. Ortiz 11/7/06
52 - Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Bay Ridge Joan L. Millman 11/7/06
53 - Bushwick, Ridgewood, Williamsburg Vito J. Lopez 11/7/06
54 - Williamsburg, Bushwick, Bedford, Stuyvesant, East New York, Cypress Hills, City Line Darryl Towns 11/7/06
55 - Oceanhill, Browsville, Bedford, Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Bushwick William Boyland 11/7/06
56 - Tompkins Park North, Weeksville, Bedford-Stuyvesant Annette Robinson 11/7/06
57 - Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Flatbush, parts of Park Slope, Bedford-Stuyvesant Hakeem Jeffries 11/7/06
58 - Flatbush, Brownsville, Canarsie Nick Perry 11/7/06
59 - Flatlands, Canarsie, Mill Island, Bergen Beach Alan Maisel 11/7/06

Brooklyn State Senate Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
17 - Bushwick, Cypress Hills, parts of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford- Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York Martin Malave Dilan 11/7/06
18 - Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Red Hook, parts of Park Slope, Carroll Gardens Velmanette Montgomery 11/7/06
19 - Canarsie, East Flatbush, parts of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East New York John L. Sampson 11/7/06
20 - Brooklyn Eric Adams 11/7/06
21 - Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Borough Park Kevin Parker 11/7/06
22 - Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, southern Sunset Park, Boro Park, St. George, Stapleton, Rosebank, Dongan Hills, Grassmere, New Dorp, South Beach, Midland Beach, Arrochas, Thompkinsville, Clifton Martin Golden 11/7/06
23 - Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Seagate, Coney Island, Windsor Terrace, parts of Brighton Beach, Kensington, Flatbush, Sunset Park, Park Slope in Brooklyn. North Shore of Staten Island Diane Savino 11/7/06
25 - Williamsburg, Sunset Park, Navy Yard, Lower Manhattan Martin Connor 11/7/06
27 - Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park, Mill Basin, Bergan Beach, Flatbush Carl Kruger 11/7/06

Manhattan State Assembly Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
64 - Lower East Side Sheldon Silver 11/7/06
65 - Upper East Side of Manhattan, Roosevelt Island Alexander Grannis 11/7/06
66 - Greenwich Village, SoHo, Tribeca, East Village Deborah Glick 11/7/06
67 - Upper West Side of Manhattan Linda Rosenthal 11/7/06
68 - Harlem Adam Clayton Powell 11/7/06
69 - Manhattan Valley, Morningside Heights Daniel O'Donnell 11/7/06
70 - Morningside Heights, Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Manhattanville Keith Wright 11/7/06
71 - West Harlem, Washington Heights Herman Farrell 11/7/06
72 - Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill Adriano Espaillat 11/7/06
73 - East side of Manhattan Jonathan Bing 11/7/06
74 - East side of Manhattan Brian Kavanagh 11/7/06
75 - Chelsea, Clinton, Murray Hill, Midtown, Lincoln Center area in Manhattan Richard Gottfried 11/7/06

Manhattan State Senate Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
25 - Williamsburg, Sunset Park, Navy Yard, Lower Manhattan Martin Connor 11/7/06
26 - Murray Hill, Tutor City, Sutton Place, Yorkville Liz Krueger 11/7/06
28 - South and West Bronx, East Harlem, Roosevelt Island, parts of North Yorkville, Upper Washington Heights Jose Serrano 11/7/06
29 - Manhattan's West Side from 77th Street to Battery Park, sections of East Midtown, Lower East Side, Little Italy, Chinatown Thomas Duane 11/7/06
30 - Harlem, Upper West Side, Washington Heights Bill Perkins 11/7/06
31 - West Side of Manhattan, Northwest Bronx Eric Schneiderman 11/7/06

Queens State Assembly Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
22 - Queens Ellen Young 11/7/06
23 - Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Far Rockaway Audrey Pheffer 11/7/06
24 - New Hyde Park, Flushing , Fresh Meadows, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck, Bayside, Holliswood, Bellerose, Floral Park, Glen Oak, Douglaston Mark Weprin 11/7/06
25 - Flushing, Whitestone Rory Lancman 11/7/06
26 - East Flushing, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, Whitestone, Malba, Bay Terrace, Floral Park Ann Margaret Carrozza 11/7/06
27 - Flushing, Queen Garden Hill, College Point, Briarwood, Auberndale, Hill Crest, Jamaica Estates Nettie Mayersohn 11/7/06
28 - Forest Hills, Rego Park, Middle Village, Glendale Andrew Hevesi 11/7/06
29 - Rosedale, Laurelton, Queens Village William Scarborough 11/7/06
30 - Maspeth, Woodside, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Middle Village, Astoria Margaret Markey 11/7/06
31 - Far Rockaway, Rosedale, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, South Ozone Park Michele Titus 11/7/06
32 - Jamaica Estates, South Jamaica Estates, Rochdale, Springfield Vivian Cook 11/7/06
33 - Cambria Heights, Queens Village, Howard, St. Alban, Bellerose, Cunnigham Heights Barbara Clark 11/7/06
34 - Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona Ivan Lafayette 11/7/06
35 - East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona, Woodside Jeffrion Aubry 11/7/06
36 - Astoria, Old Astoria, Long Island City, Queensbridge, Ditmars, Ravenswood, Steinway Michael Gianaris 11/7/06
37 - Sunnyside, Ridgewood, Astoria, Woodside, Long Island City, Maspeth, Ravenswood, Blissville Catherine Nolan 11/7/06
38 - Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Glendale, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village Anthony Seminerio 11/7/06
39 - Jackson Heights, Corona Jose Peralta 11/7/06

Queens State Senate Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
10 - Queens Shirley Huntley 11/7/06
11 - Queens Village, Flushing, Bayside Whitestone, Douglaston, Little Neck, College Point, Bellerose, Hollace, Jamaica Estates, Floral Park, Glenn Oak, New Lead Park Frank Padavan 11/7/06
12 - Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Bayside, Flushing, Bay Terrace George Onorato 11/7/06
13 - Jackson Heights, Corona and parts of Elmhurst John Sabini 11/7/06
14 - St. Albans, Laurelton, Cambria Heights, Springfield Gardens, Rockaways Malcolm Smith 11/7/06
15 - Forest Hills Gardens, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Maspeth, Middle Village, Old Howard Beach, Ridgewood, Woodhaven, parts of Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, South Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Sunnyside, Woodside Serphin Maltese 11/7/06
16 - Flushing, Bay Terrace, Forest Hills, Rego Park Toby Ann Stavisky 11/7/06

Staten Island State Assembly Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
60 - Brooklyn: Bay Ridge, Fort Hamiliton. Staten Island: Eltingville, Great Kills, Richmond, Oakwood Beach, New Dorp Beach, Midland Beach, Fort Wadsworth, Dongan Hills, Emerson Hills, Grant City, Rosebank, Shore Acre, Grasmere, Arrochae Janele Hyer-Spencer 11/7/06
61 - Westerleigh, Mariners Harbor, Port Richmond, West New Brighton, Livingston, New Brighton, Randall Manor, St. George, Stapleton, Tompkinsville John Lavelle 11/7/06
62 - New Dorp, Oakwood, Great Kills, Eltingville, Annandale, Huguenot, Pleasant Plains, Prince's Bay, Cottonville, Roseville Vincent Ignizio 11/7/06
63 - Staten Island Michael Cusick 11/7/06

Staten Island State Senate Districts
Office Winner Date Posted
23 - Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Seagate, Coney Island, Windsor Terrace, parts of Brighton Beach, Kensington, Flatbush, Sunset Park, Park Slope in Brooklyn. North Shore of Staten Island Diane Savino 11/7/06
24 - Staten Island    

Judicial Races

Bronx - Civil Court
Office Winner Date Posted
Countywide Doris M. Gonzalez 11/8/06

Brooklyn - Civil Court
Office Winner Date Posted
Countywide Dena Douglas, Jacqueline D. Williams 11/8/06

Manhattan - Civil Court
Office Winner Date Posted
Countywide Jane Solomon 11/8/06
District 1 Paul Feinman 11/8/06
District 2 Margaret Chan 11/8/06
District 4 Eileen Rakower, Michael Stallman 11/8/06
District 7 Rita Mella, Shari Michels 11/8/06
District 9 Arthur Birnbaum, Lori Sattler 11/8/06

Queens - Civil Court
Office Winner Date Posted
District 1 Charles Lopresto 11/8/06
District 2 Leslie J. Purificacion 11/8/06

Staten Island - Civil Court
Office Winner Date Posted
Countywide Barbara I. Panepinto, Kim Dollard 11/8/06
District 2 Philip Straniere 11/8/06

State Supreme Court
Office Winner Date Posted
District 1 (Manhattan) Joan Lobis, Angela Mazzarelli 11/8/06
District 2 (Brooklyn, Staten Island) Jack Battaglia, William Mastro, Karen Rothenberg, David Schmidt, Delores Thomas 11/8/06
District 7 (Queens) Evelyn Braun, Richard Buchter, Steven Fisher, Darrell Gavrin, Kevin Kerrigan, Robert Kohm, Howard Lane 11/8/06
District 12 (Bronx) Luis Gonzalez, Howard Sherman 11/8/06

 

Contested Races


Guide to Party Abbreviations:

C = Conservative D = Democrat FDM = Freedom Party
I = Independence L = Liberal LBT = Libertarian
RVC = Rising Voices Coalition R = Republican WF = Working Families

(Incumbents in bold)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

District 7 (Queens, Bronx)
Kevin Brawley (R,C)
Joseph Crowley (D,WF)
District 8 (Brooklyn, Manhattan)
Dennis E. Adornato (C)
Eleanor Friedman (R)
Jerrold L. Nadler (D, WF)
District 10 (Brooklyn)
Jonathan H. Anderson (R)
Ernest Johnson (C)
Edolphus Towns (D)
District 11(Brooklyn)
Marianna Blume (C)
Yvette D. Clark (D,WF)
Steven Finger (R,LBT)
Ollie M. McClean (FDM)
District 12 (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens)
Allan Romaguera (R,C)
Nydia M. Velazquez (D,WF)
District 13 (Brooklyn, Staten Island)
Vito Fossella (R,C,I)
Stephen A. Harrison (D,WF)
District 14 (Manhattan, Queens)
Danniel Maio (R)
Carolyn B. Maloney (D,WF,I)
District 15 (Bronx, Manhattan, Queens)
Edward Daniels (R)
Charles B. Rangel (D,WF)
District 16 (Bronx)
Ali Mohamed (R,C)
Jose E. Serrano (D,WF)
District 17 (Bronx)
Eliot L. Engel (D,WF)
Jim Faulkner (R,C,I)

STATE ASSEMBLY

District 22 (Queens)
Christopher M. Migliaccio (R,C)
Ellen Young (D,I)
District 23 (Queens)
Stuart W. Mirsky (R,C, I)
Audrey I. Pheffer (D,WF)
District 25 (Queens)
Morshed Alam (R)
Rory I. Lancman (D,WF)
District 27 (Queens)
Walter A. Lamp (C)
Nettie Mayersohn (D,I)
District 28 (Queens)
Andrew D. Hevesi (D,WF)
Dolores Maddis (R,C)
District 31 (Queens)
Michael Duvalle (I)
Michele R. Titus (D,WF)
District 40 (Brooklyn)
Diane Gordon (D)
Godfrey Jelks (R,C)
District 41(Brooklyn)
Jack Benton (R)
Johnathan Testaverde (C)
Helene E. Weinstein (D,WF)
District 42(Brooklyn)
Rhoda S. Jacobs (D)
Harriet Katz (R)
District 43(Brooklyn)
Karim Camara (D,WF)
Kenneth E. Cook (R,C)
District 44(Brooklyn)
James F. Brennan (D,WF)
Yvette Valazquez Bennett (R,C)
District 46 (Brooklyn)
Alec Brook-Krasny (D,WF)
Patricia B. Laudano (R,C)
District 47 (Brooklyn)
Phyllis Carbo (R,C)
William Colton (D,WF)
District 48 (Brooklyn)
Dov Hikind (D,R)
Herbert F. Ryan (C)
District 49 (Brooklyn)
Peter J. Abbate Jr. (D,WF)
Lucretia Regina-Potter (R,C)
District 50 (Brooklyn)
Joseph R. Lentol (D)
Richard Trainer (R,C)
District 51 (Brooklyn)
Washington G. Artus (R,C)
Felix W. Ortiz (D)
District 52 (Brooklyn)
Rosemarie Markgraf (R,C)
Joan L. Millman (D,WF)
District 53 (Brooklyn)
Ameriar Feliciano (R,C)
Vito J. Lopez (D,WF)
District 54 (Brooklyn)
Khorshed Chowdhury (R,C)
Darryl C. Towns (D,WF)
District 55 (Brooklyn)
William F. Boyland Jr. (D,WF)
Rose Laney (R)
District 57 (Brooklyn)
Hakeem Jeffries (D,WF)
Henry P. Weinstein (R,C)
District 58 (Brooklyn)
Robert Gaffney (C)
N. Nick Perry (D,WF)
District 59 (Brooklyn)
Alan N. Maisel (D)
Stephen Walters (C)
District 60 (Brooklyn, Staten Island)
D. Janele Hyer- Spencer (D,WF,I)
Anthony Xanthakis (R,C)
District 61(Staten Island)
John W. Lavelle (D,WF)
Rose Margarella (R)
District 63(Staten Island)
Michael J. Cusick (D,C,WF, I)
Victor A. Grossman (R)
District 64 (Manhattan)
Michael A. Imperiale (R,C)
Sheldon Silver (D,WF)
District 65 (Manhattan)
Michael Fandal (R)
Alexander B. Pete Grannis (D,WF)
District 67 (Manhattan)
Theodore Howard (R)
Linda B. Rosenthal (D,WF)
District 68 (Manhattan)
Adam Clayton Powell IV (D,WF)
Dean L. Velasco (R,C,I)
District 71 (Manhattan)
Glenda Allen (R)
Herman D. Farrell Jr. (D)
District 72
Francesca Castellanos (RVC)
Martin Chicon (R,I)
Adriano Espaillat (D)
District 73 (Manhattan)
Jonathan L. Bing (D,WF)
Robert Heim (R,I)
District 74 (Manhattan)
Sylvia M. Friedman (WF)
Brian P. Kavanagh (D)
Frank J. Scala ( R)
District 76 (Bronx)
Peter M. Rivera (D,WF)
Steven Stern (R,C)
District 77(Bronx)
Anthony Curry (C)
Aurelia Greene (D,WF)
Kathleen B. Larkins (R)
District 78 (Bronx)
Jose Rivera(D)
William J. Sullivan (R,C)
District 79 (Bronx)
Michael A. Benjamin (D)
Sharon L. Grady (R,C)
District 80 (Bronx)
Frank Olivo (R)
Naomi Rivera (D)
Joseph A. Thompson (C)
District 81 (Bronx)
Steve Bradian (C)
Jeffrey Dinowitz (D,WF)
District 82 (Bronx)
Michael R. Benedetto (D,WF)
Raymond Capone (R,C)
District 83 (Bronx)
Trevor Archer (GRE)
Willie Bowman (R,C)
Carl E. Heastie (D,WF)
District 84 (Bronx)
Harry Almodovar (C)
Carmen E. Arroyo (D)
David Rosado (R)
District 85 (Bronx)
Ruben Diaz Jr. (D)
William J. McDonagh (R,C)
District 86 (Bronx)
Luis M. Diaz (D)
Sham Ninah (R,C)

STATE SENATE

District 10 (Queens)
Jereline Hunter (R,C)
Shirley L. Huntley (D)
District 11(Queens)
Nora C. Marino (D,WF)
Frank Padavan (R,C,I)
District 15 (Queens)
Albert Baldeo (D)
Serphin R. Maltese (R,C,I)
District 17 (Brooklyn)
Martin Malave Dlan (D,WF)
Victor F. Guarino (R,C)
District 18 (Brooklyn)
Velmanette Montgomery (D,WF)
Viviana Vazquez-Hernandez (R,C)
District 19 (Brooklyn)
John L. Sampson (D,WF)
Mary J. Vicino (R)
District 20 (Brooklyn)
Eric Adams (D,WF)
James M. Gay (C)
District 21 (Brooklyn)
Salvatore Grupico (R,C)
Kevin S. Parker (D,WF)
District 25 (Brooklyn, Manhattan)
Martin Connor (D)
Ken Diamondstone (WF)
District 26 (Manhattan)
Liz Krueger (D. WF)
Philip Pidot (R, GRP)
District 27 (Brooklyn)
Carl Kruger (D)
Mildred R. Mahoney (C)
District 31 (Bronx, Manhattan)
Stylo A. Sapaskis (R)
Eric T. Schniederman (D,WF)
District 32 (Bronx)
Arlene Anderson (R,C)
Ruben Diaz Sr. (D)
District 33 (Bronx)
Efrain Gonzalez Jr. (D)
Ernest Kebreau (C)
District 34 (Bronx)
Jeffrey D. Klein (D,WF)
Joseph J. Savino (R,C,I)
District 36 (Bronx)
Curtis Brooks (R,C)
Ruth H. Thompson (D,WF)

 

 

 



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