By Ed Hersh
The candidates and their representatives are out in force looking for last-minute votes, as registered Democrats go to the polls today for the second time this summer.
In this round of a two-part primary (the first was June 23rd), Democrats will choose candidates for U.S. Congress and State Senate in newly redistricted areas of the city, including the Upper West Side.
The most closely watched UWS race pits longtime allies Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler against each other in the new 12th Congressional District. Today’s vote will also pick a Democratic candidate for the newly redrawn 47th State Senate District.
The candidates and political experts agree that turnout, absentee ballots, and the results of early voting are likely to be key factors in the race, but they are hard to predict given the unusual circumstances. In Manhattan, early voting leading up to today’s Part II was greater than early voting leading up to Part I, perhaps signaling heightened interest in these races, according to NY1.
WSR visited several polling sites on the UWS between 8AM and 9AM — a busy time on most election days — and while turnout seemed light, there was a steady stream of voters entering. Veteran poll workers we spoke to agreed.
One voter leaving an UWS polling place — an attorney who says she follows politics closely — thinks lack of awareness of this second primary– and even of the fact of redistricting — are the biggest obstacles to turnout. “I’m obsessed,” she says, but she’s been surprised to learn that “people who normally vote are unaware.”
WSR ran into Maria Danzilo greeting voters and volunteers on Columbus Ave near 85th Street. She’s challenging Brad Hoylman for the State Senator nomination in the newly-drawn 47th district, which stretches from the Upper West Side south through Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea. She observed that the voters who did show up early this morning were those who had to be out early — “dog walkers and health-care workers” — and that many others might be on vacation or have voted early.
Both Maloney and Nadler have devoted significant resources to targeting NYC voters who are away in the Hamptons, for example, first urging absentee ballots and now imploring them to return home to vote, as reported earlier this week in The New York Times.
Suraj Patel, who is challenging Maloney and Nadler, says he’s encouraged by early voting in Manhattan and today’s turnout so far. We met him this morning campaigning not far from a polling place on Amsterdam Avenue, and he was upbeat. “Not everyone has a house in the Hamptons to go to,” he said. “I think turnout is going to blow up.”
Poll watchers told us they expect a surge of voters after 5pm. Polls are open until 9PM.
If you voted today, what was your experience? Share in the comments.
I voted for Hoylman. I find Danzilo’s lock ‘‘em up platform racist.
Most folks on the Upper East and Upper West are “I voted for Obama twice” folks if you know what I mean.
Your comment is completely inappropriate and offensive. Just because someone wants to keep our streets safe does not mean that they’re racist otherwise the majority of voters today, would be considered racist. We want to raise our families, run our businesses, live our lives, without fear. You should delete this comment because it’s wildly inappropriate.
Your summary of her platform is completely off-base as well. She has a very nuanced approach and fresh ideas on how to address these issues. it’s too bad that escapes you.
We need commonsense moderates like Maria Danzilo as well as open primaries.
The problem is that leftists throw around these labels without any consequences. That’s their answer to any opposite point of view.
That’s why lots of moderate Democrats are voting Republican. Just to restore sanity within Democratic Party.
What does race have to do with being safe? By aligning race to this issue, you are setting race relations back many years. Do the crime, do the time. Doesn’t matter what race the criminal is.
As one of my favorite expressions goes, some people try to be so open minded that their brains fall out.
Danzilo is anti-crime, she is not racist. Please don’t throw labels like this around.
Hardworking people of color are dying from violence. Yet letting criminals roam free is racist to you?
Fighting crime is racist? No wonder our neighborhood has so much crime. It is because of completely out-of-touch leftist rhetorics.
Maybe she should get in because of the “lock them up”.
Enough criminals are loose on the streets, committing repeated crimes.
Locked up at least they can’t do it.
Where can we concentrate our votes to keep the “progressive” out? I guess it’s Nadler for now until a better candidate primaries him.
I went to voting location only to be reminded that I (intentionally) did not affiliate with any parry and thus cannot vote in primary. Doh!
very poor coverage everywhere (Times, Gothamist, WSR)about the precise changes in state senatorial districts with boundaries virtually indecipherable
I would be very curious to see the turnout numbers. I just think this was a crazy time to have an election with so many people out of town; it’s very noticeable on the UWS, I live near Thyme and Tonic and normally people are waiting on line for brunch, but last Sunday you could have walked in for a table. Yes, this is how I gauge how many people are home in the neighborhood.