New York 2023 Early Voting Begins

The early voting for New York elections began today.

Off-year elections are important in the United States. We do not just have presidential elections or even congressional elections (every two years, a third of the U.S. Senate each time). There are a slew of others, including for state governors and a ballot measure that could bring reproductive liberty to Ohio. Other elections are still important on a local basis. 

New York City is largely a Democratic town though a few Republicans now manage to win city council seats. My Bronx district is one of the few races labeled competitive. So, when I went to my nearby early voting location [not all polling places, but a good many, more were added last year], there was a competitive race for me.  

FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE

However, the uncompetitive nature of the area is suggested by the Bronx district attorney candidate running unopposed. This is a dubious Republican choice for an important state office [DA is a state officer; it does not have ranked choice voting during the primary].  It is a good policy to at least run a candidate to promote the brand as well as individual people.

There are also local judicial races. I never found these sensible. The choices are selected by some sort of commission or whatever. Who knows. The voting guide you are sent in the mail needs to address the question, including providing the names of those on the ballot. The judges regularly run unopposed. I regularly write in one or more protest votes.

Democracy is very important. It should be carefully used. This includes providing a well-run election system with broad suffrage. 

Nonetheless, there should be some care on what the people vote for. Some positions (and issues) are better left to our representatives. The people are asked to vote for judges here with very little information. This is beyond the dangers of popular elections of judges generally, including partisanship infecting justice. It is a sham of a choice. 

[ETA: Here is more on judicial races, including boroughs where there is actually competition. So, the choices are mostly made by insiders, and this gives a Potemkin Village sort of gloss of democratic legitimacy? Okay.]

The Ohio referendum to place reproductive liberty in the state constitution is an important way for the people to express their will. Ohio is a gerrymandered state. Direct democracy is most appropriate when there is a concern that normal republican (small 'r') measures do not work fairly. 

The two proposals on the New York ballot are another matter. They involve important issues involving funding small city school districts and sewer funding. The state constitution requires a public vote before the fiscal changes, which does not seem to have much opposition at all [this time, the voting guide did discuss it; no opposition was noted], are passed. 

Nonetheless, it is a dubious method of direct democracy. Why should people in New York City have much say at all about how small city school districts fund themselves?  What does the average voter know about sewer funding? These are specialized items that should be hashed out by others. 

I think in New York there are limited measures that are sensible things the public at large reasonably would vote for. For instance, if a state constitutional amendment strengthened reproductive liberty or changed how we voted. A permanent no-excuse mail-in voting provision, for instance. The two measures, which I voted "yes" each time since I did not understand anyone really thought otherwise, are not that.  

Anyway, I again did my civic duty. I received my free sticker and kept the stylus pen (little rubber top to sign in, pen to fill in the ballot). New York does not provide a receipt to the voter, which is somewhat dubious. But, the whole thing went smoothly. The privacy booth was a bit too close to one of the tables. You should do something about that.

I have some interest in this whole voting thing since on Election Day I will be a poll worker. Do your part. Educate yourself.  Vote.  

Get a sticker.  

ETA: Saw an article in the NY Daily News, on Sunday, that the Conservative Party is against both proposals. Okay. Anyway.