Rank the Vote NYC Applauds City Council for Passing Bill to Educate Voters on Ranked Choice Voting

NEW YORK, NY (01/28/2021) (readMedia)-- Rank the Vote NYC today applauded the New York City Council for passing a bill to educate voters on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). Int. 1994-A, sponsored by Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel, requires the CFB to produce robust media campaigns and digital materials -- in addition to producing and distributing print educational materials to community boards and city agencies involved in voter registration -- to spread the word on RCV ahead of the first citywide use of RCV later this year.

"We applaud the City Council for prioritizing Ranked Choice Voting education, and thank Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel for her leadership and sponsoring this bill," Susan Lerner, Rank the Vote NYC Board Chair said. "The City's education outreach efforts will complement the ongoing efforts of Rank the Vote NYC in partnership with community groups, candidates, local elected officials and others to ensure New Yorkers are fully empowered when they head to the ballot box this year."

Rank the Vote NYC has already partnered with Queens Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, and local elected officials across the city to produce forums and trainings to spread the word to New Yorkers about RCV. In the last month alone, Rank the Vote NYC has done over 30 trainings with community groups, campaigns, and elected officials like Assembly Members Nily Rozic and Daniel Rosenthal, and Congresswoman Grace Meng. Since the summer, the group has reached thousands of voters.

And on Monday, over 30 candidates for New York City Council launched a Week of Action to educate voters on the new voting method. The candidates, including some who are running for the same seat, have held forums and workshops, tabled at subway stations, and more.

Week of Action Schedule

• Monday: Pierina Sanchez - CD14 will host a train the trainer event for volunteers in CD14 to learn how to talk to their neighbors about RCV at 8 p.m.
• Tuesday: Women running in CD 33 will co-host a RCV training (Elizabeth Adams, April Somboun, Sabrina Gates, and Victoria Cambranes)
• Wednesday: Lincoln Restler is hosting a Train the Trainer event led by Rank The Vote NYC's former Field Director Kicy Motley for residents in CD33 to learn how to talk to their neighbors about RCV at 7 p.m.
• Thursday: Crystal Hudson - CD-35 are hosting a RCV event with Althea Stevens CD -16, Shahana Hanif CD-39, Amanda Farias CD-18, and Felicia Singh CD-32, Community Voices Heard Power, and Common Cause at 6 p.m.
• Thursday: Sandy Nurse - CD37 and Jennifer Gutierrez - CD34 are hosting a RCV event with Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH) from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
• Thursday: Tiffany Cabán tabling by the Subway at Ditmars to talk to voters about RCV and to promote our digital RCV training the next day at 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday: At 8 p.m. Aleda Gagarin will be hosting a Community RCV Workshop with Jesse Cerrotti on Zoom, open to all New Yorkers who want to learn more about RCV aledaforcouncil.com/rcvworkshop
• Thursday: At 8 p.m., Shekar Krishnan will be hosting an "Everything You Need to Know About RCV" community discussion. It will be in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Nepali, and Bengali. This will be part of the campaign's weekly series of Thursday community town halls called "Shake It Up with Shekar."
• Friday: Sara Lind and Jeffrey Omura - both running in CD06 - co-host an RCV training and Drag Queen Happy Hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Friday: Tiffany Cabán will host a Ranked Choice Voting training for volunteers and constituents led by District Leaders Zachariah Boyer and Shawna Morlock at 5:30 p.m.