Ranked Choice Voting + Early Voting GOTV Rally @ the Metropolitan Museum of Art

NEW YORK, NY (06/11/2021) (readMedia)-- Today Rank the Vote NYC and over a dozen community partners gathered on the steps of The Met, which is, for the first time, an early voting poll site. With early voting for New York City's first major ranked choice election beginning tomorrow (Saturday, June 12) community members gathered to celebrate the expanded voting opportunities for New Yorkers.

Video for the event is available here. And Rep. Jamal Bowman made a surprise appearance, available to watch and download here.

Ranked choice voting gives voters the opportunity to rank as many as five candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of first choice votes, the candidate that came in last is eliminated and voters' second choice votes are distributed. This repeats until there's a majority winner. In the 2021 election, RCV applies to all primary races for City Council, Borough President, Comptroller, Public Advocate, and Mayor.

With GOTV efforts already underway, Rank the Vote will begin a major canvass next week, with hundreds of volunteers out engaging voters in priority neighborhoods across the five boroughs every day until Election Day. Priority neighborhoods include Harlem, Washington Heights, and Lower East Side in Manhattan; Highbridge, Mott Haven, Hunts Point, Tremont, Castle Hill, Soundview, and Idlewild in Bronx; East New York, Brownsville, Bed-Stuy, Flatbush, Sunset Park, Bushwick, Crown Heights, and Coney Island in Brooklyn; South Ozone Park, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst in Queens; and the North Shore in Staten Island.

Rank the Vote NYC has partnered with over 750 organizations to conduct 450 trainings and outreach events in the last year. Joining at the presser were a number of key providers including: the Office of the Public Advocate; NY Immigration Coalition; Chinese American Planning Association; Chhaya; Dominicanos USA; NAACP NYC; MinKwon; Black Health; City Harvest; Food Bank for New York; NALEO Educational Fund; My Vote; UNH; Democracy NYC; and African American Clergy and Elected Officials.

New Yorkers have responded enthusiastically to RCV. In the ranked choice special elections earlier this year, 95 percent of voters stated they found the ranked choice ballot simple to fill out, and 70 percent of voters took advantage of RCV by ranking more than one candidate.

Early voting runs from June 12 to June 20, and Election Day is June 22. New Yorkers can find their early voting and Election Day polling sites at voting.nyc or by calling 1-866-VOTE-NYC.

"Thanks to ranked choice voting, we're seeing demographically and ideologically diverse races across the city," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. "With this election, not only will New Yorkers not have to choose between the lesser of two evils or worry about wasting a vote, but they can be confident that the winner is the one preferred by the most voters. It's finally time for New Yorkers to experience the many benefits of ranked choice voting."

"This year New Yorkers are facing some of the most critical elections our city has seen in a generation; at the same time, we have unprecedented options for making our voices - and our votes - count. I urge everyone to take advantage of these options, especially Early Voting and Ranked Choice Voting. Do your research, talk to your neighbors, make your choices, then rank them at an Early Voting poll site starting tomorrow," said Sen. Liz Krueger.

"We are thrilled to be a polling site and do our part to encourage civic engagement. It is an important opportunity to support early voting, while also inviting visitors to The Met. We are honored to be able to open our doors and provide access to early voting during this critical moment," said Norah Yahya, Senior Government Affairs Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"In 2019, New Yorkers elected to put more choice on our ballots and more power in our hands when we voted to enact ranked choice voting. In 2021, with new tools, new voters, and newfound power, we can elect the leadership our city needs in a time of ongoing crisis and impending opportunity. I'm excited to rank my full ballot for city elections, and I urge New Yorkers to take this opportunity to Rank the Vote," said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

"Ranked choice voting will let New Yorkers have a greater say in who represents them," said Sean Dugar, Education Campaign Manager of Rank the Vote NYC. "After more than a year of working to educate New Yorkers across the five boroughs about the many benefits of RCV, it's finally time. We've been on the ground, and I know that New Yorkers are ready to rank."

"We have fought too hard and too long for the right to vote, and we have to learn how Ranked Choice Voting works to maximize our power," said C. Virginia Fields, the founder, president and CEO of Black Health. "It is a chance for our voices to be heard even if our first choice does not win right away."

"This June, New York will become the most diverse community in the country to introduce Ranked Choice Voting, a new voting system that will allow voters to have more choice and power with their vote. The upcoming primaries represent a critical opportunity to elect a new generation of local leaders that will directly shape and impact the lives of New Yorkers. Our city's voting electorate must reflect the diversity of our immigrant communities including those who are left behind in the political process because of linguistic, economic and social barriers. MinKwon and our partners at APA VOICE, a coalition of New York's leading Asian-American community organizations that organize together to increase civic engagement, have been leading research, advocacy and extensive GOTV education and outreach to ensure our community members are prepared to vote with Ranked Choice Voting in the upcoming primary. We look forward to mobilizing our community this June to build a more inclusive and participatory democracy that reflects the most diverse community in the nation," said Sandra Choi, Civic Participation Manager of MinKwon.

"Since its 1909 founding in New York City, the NAACP has played a central role in both voter education and voter equality. Now, the NAACP is fulfilling its mission by getting out the vote in NYC's first major ranked choice election. The NAACP is at the forefront of making sure our community is educated about the new opportunities in our democratic process," said Kenneth Cohen, President of the North East Queens NAACP. "It's important to us that everyone has a fair chance to exercise their civic duty, especially historically disenfranchised voters."

"Our mission at DUSA is to empower our community to vote and show them there's a place for their voice in the electoral process. We've registered over 115,000 Latinos in NYC and our goal for RCV is to create educational resources that will not only teach how it works but also let's our community understand the value of ranked choice voting and how it can impact elections and their day to day life for themselves and their families," said Eddie Cuesta, executive director of Dominicanos USA.

"Ensuring that up-to-date and accessible information is made available to all voters, including New York City's vibrant Latino electorate, is a vital part of any educational campaign that precedes shifts in how voters exercise their rights," said NALEO Educational Fund CEO, Arturo Vargas. "With the new system in place, direct engagement and accessible resources in English and Spanish are critical elements to how effective Rank-Choice Voting will be as voters begin casting their ballots. As we have seen in election after election, Latino voters are deeply invested in civic life, which is why it is incumbent on elections administrators to make sure the community, and all eligible voters, are in the best positions to make their voices heard."

"Recent changes to our voting system put us at a unique point of time in NYC where voters have levels of access and voting power that are higher than we've ever seen before. The recent additions of early voting, absentee ballots and ranked choice voting system empower more New Yorkers than ever to elect leaders who truly represent their voices and needs. The pandemic exacerbated long-standing issues such as a housing crisis, a broken healthcare system and the lack of economic stability. Chhaya will continue to work with the South Asian and Indo Caribbean communities to increase voter engagement and help them understand the ranked choice voting system. We encourage all NYC voters to raise their voices and choose the leaders that will lead us into a period of recovery. We are excited for the new system of ranked choice voting and to increase turnout for the June 22nd primaries!" said Farzana Linda, Chhaya's Associate Director of Advocacy and Organizing.

"While other states are engaging in voter suppression, New York State made it easier to vote by adopting Early Voting; while other states are restricting voter choice, New York City gave voters more choice by adopting Ranked Choice Voting," said Theodore A. Moore, Senior Director of Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition. "These two popular, pro-voter policies are making it safer and easier for New York voters to cast their ballots and make a powerful statement that democracy only works when we empower and trust all residents."

"Asian American and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing voter group, but a lack of language access, tailored resources, and direct outreach, and accessibility prevent many would-be voters from fully participating in our democracy. Ranked choice voting and early voting makes our democracy more accessible and more participatory- and makes all of us as voters more powerful," said Carlyn Cowen, Chief Policy and Public Affairs Officer at the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC).

"City Harvest is excited to partner with Rank the Vote and Common Cause to help educate New Yorkers about early and ranked-choice voting ahead of this month's critical elections. Although New York City is beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we know the economic pain of the crisis will be with many New Yorkers for years to come, and that the need for emergency food will remain high. City Harvest is committed to strengthening food access in our city and elections are a critical way to make that happen," said Keith Carr, Senior Policy and Government Relations Manager of City Harvest.

"With accessible early voting locations and a new ranked-choice voting system, it's never been easier to choose candidates that represent your voice," said Nicholas Buess, Associate Director of Mobilization & Policy at Food Bank For New York City. "Our elected representatives make critical choices on policies and budgets that help fight hunger and poverty across our city. We're proud to engage our community food providers on this year's election and urge all New Yorkers to learn about their candidates and make a plan to vote this June!"

"MyVoteProject (MVP) is a national, nonpartisan organization promoting civic engagement and voter participation among young people and voters of all ages. Powered by a network of more than 250 student volunteers, we combine old-school community outreach with digital-themed voter engagement techniques using social media, virtual convenings, and an interactive website designed to inform, not influence, voters. We are excited to relaunch our website for the NYC primaries and partner with Rank the Vote on a series of virtual forums to promote voter engagement and record turnout!" said Gita Stulberg of MyVote Project.

"This election marks a critical point in our city's history," said Susan Stamler, executive director of United Neighborhood Houses. "Early and ranked-choice voting provide opportunities and access that many voters have never had before. UNH and New York City's settlement houses are proud to have partnered with Common Cause to educate communities for the first ranked-choice election and are excited to continue this work moving forward."

"Tomorrow marks the beginning of early voting in NYC, where voters across the five boroughs will head to the polls to vote on the future of our city. The importance of this election cannot be overstated. With over 350 candidates on the ballot and a new system of ranked choice voting, New Yorkers have more of a say than ever before. DemocracyNYC is proud to stand with our partners, both in and out of government, to ensure all voters are prepared to have their voices heard at the ballot box.

Don't sit this one out. Make a plan to vote today and ensure your voice is heard at the ballot box. Our city's future depends on it," said Laura Wood, New York City's Chief Democracy Officer.

"The New York City Civic Engagement Commission is proud to join with elected officials, agency and community partners, to educate voters in one of the most consequential elections in our City's history. New Yorkers voted in favor of Ranked Choice Voting because it gives voters more choices, a greater say in who gets elected, and increases the diversity of candidates and outcomes. Much is on the ballot this June and we have more options than ever before. We call on all New Yorkers will go to the polls, make their voice heard, and be a part of this historic NYC citywide election using ranked choice voting. We decide our future." - Dr. Sarah Sayeed, Chair & Executive Director of the New York City Civic Engagement Commission.