New York Votes Today: Hochul vs. Blakeman, and Five City Charter Questions
Gov. Kathy Hochul faces Republican Bruce Blakeman for governor, and New York City voters decide five proposals on how the city permits, contracts and saves.
New Yorkers go to the polls today to choose a governor, and city voters have five ballot proposals of their own that would change how City Hall gets things done.
The race for governor
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat also running on the Working Families Party line with running mate Adrienne Adams, faces Republican Bruce Blakeman, who also has the Conservative Party and Vote Affordable Party lines, with running mate Todd Hood. Neither had a primary: New York's June primary for governor was canceled because no race was contested.
Five questions for New York City
The back of the city ballot carries five proposed changes to the City Charter.
Proposal 1, public space permits: would trim steps from approvals for things like ramps, benches and outdoor dining, aiming for about two months, and drop the mandatory public hearing. A no vote keeps the current process.
Proposal 2, city contracting: would let the mayor award contracts, cut paperwork for small businesses and nonprofits, and reduce reporting requirements. A no vote keeps the current process.
Proposal 3, streets, land and leases: would speed street safety projects such as bike and bus lanes, shorten small city land sales to about 90 days, and remove hearing and approval steps for leasing government office space. A no vote keeps current procedures.
Proposal 4, construction permits: would create one central permitting hub and move waterfront construction permits from Small Business Services to the Department of Buildings. A no vote keeps permitting spread across agencies.
Proposal 5, rainy day fund: would set a goal of a reserve equal to at least 12 percent of the previous year's tax revenue and put a limit on withdrawals into the charter. A no vote leaves that goal out.
Before you go
Find your poll site and your sample ballot at the NYC Board of Elections, vote.nyc. We'll report the results when they're in.