DemocracyNYC and NYC Civic Engagement Commission's monthly newsletter
 
 
NYC Mayors Public Engagement Unit - Democracy NYC
NYC Civic Engagement Commission
A navy image with text that reads I'm an Immigrant and I vote and has silhouettes of immigrant New Yorkers. 

Happy Pride and Immigrant Heritage Month! With less than one week until the Primary Election and Early Voting already underway DemocracyNYC (DNYC) and the Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) continue to reach New Yorkers in all five boroughs during this final stretch. Please see some important updates, resources, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities below.
Alt text: An image of boy looking out the NYC skyline with text that reads The Issues You Care About. 

The Issues You Care About Are On the Ballot

Early Voting is underway for the June Primary, an important citywide election which will impact the outcome of a number of critical races for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and a majority of the 51 City Council seats. Learn more about the candidates on your ballot, their top issues, and more in the NYC Votes Voter Guide. Find your poll site and learn about what offices are on the ballot and the three ways to vote in the Primary Election here.

Watch and download our PSA made in collaboration with Telling Story Inc. and BRIC Media, which highlights what's at stake with the elections and featuring the following community partners and activists: Ramdat Singh, Educator, Caribbean Equality Project; Rasheta Bunting, Bronx Independent Living Services; Youssef Mubarez, Yemeni American Merchants Association; Jaqi Cohen, NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign; and Jeremiah Mark Greenridge, Crew Count.

Key Dates

For the Primary Election for NYC Mayor; Public Advocate; Comptroller; City Council; Borough Presidents; and Manhattan District Attorney*.

  1. June 15 - Absentee Ballot Request Deadline for Primary Election
  2. June 12-20 - Early Voting for Primary Election
  3. June 22 - Primary Election Day

*The Manhattan District Attorney race will not use Ranked Choice Voting.

Materials

DemocracyNYC and our partners have distributed materials to over 150 different community based organizations and electeds. See print ready versions of our resources below.

Additional Resources

An image of a marked ballot where pizza toppings appear in rows and 1 through 5 appear in columns. Ovals are marked as follows: Olives is ranked 5, Pineapple is ranked 4, Vegan Cheese is not ranked, Clam is not ranked, Sausage is ranked 3, Mushrooms is ranked 2, Green Peppers is not ranked, and Pepperoni is ranked 1. Above the ballot is text that reads Practice Ranked Choice Voting with Pizza Top 5 Toppings Vote now at nyc.gov/votepizza 

Ranked Choice Voting Is Here!

Rank Your Favorite Pizza Topping Now!

Last week the Mayor announced ‘Rank Your Pizza,’ an interactive challenge that educates New Yorkers by encouraging voters to rank their favorite pizza toppings in a ranked choice system. The mayor demonstrated the new system by ranking his own favorite toppings (in case you didn’t know pineapple is his least favorite topping). While the challenge is now over (pepperoni won!) New Yorkers can continue to learn about Ranked Choice Voting by ranking their favorite pizza topping at nyc.gov/votepizza and stay tuned for a new ad featuring comedian Matt Richards.

This ballot was created in collaboration with RankedVote. Click here to access ballots in additional languages.

Workshops

DemocracyNYC and the Civic Engagement Commission continue to host and participate in multilingual voter education workshops. Help inform New Yorkers about RCV by watching and sharing our previous workshops which can be viewed here.

A blue graphic with text that reads Language should not be a barrier to participation in the June Primary and an animated image of diverse New Yorkers holding hands.
A dark blue graphic with an animated image of diverse New Yorkers holding hands and text which reads To learn whether your poll site is covered, visit www.participate.nyc.gov or call 866-VOTE-NYC to lear about the NYC Board of Elections

Multilingual Resources at the Polls and Beyond!

The Civic Engagement Commission provides supplemental interpretation services in 11 languages at select poll sites citywide! To learn more or to see if your poll site is covered, visit participate.nyc.gov.

Language should not be a barrier to participation. When you go to vote this June Primary, remember that you and your loved ones have the right to an interpreter. You may bring anyone to assist you outside of your employer or union representative. Learn more and watch this PSA on voting rights!

DemocracyNYC created a multilingual June Primary resource page in fifteen languages on our website. These pages include links to in-language graphics and videos.

An image of a man with a boy around his neck. Both the man and boy have an ice cream cone in their hand. On the graphic there is also text that reads: Don't Waste Your Vote Rank It! Ranked Choice Voting is here. Learn more at voting.nyc
An image of a girl with glasses in a graduation gown in front of the Washington Square Park Arch with text that reads Let's Lift the Voices of Our Local Communities. Ranked Choice Voting is here. Learn more at voting.nyc

Don't Waste Your Vote, Rank It!

In collaboration with FairShare and F.Y. Eye, DemocracyNYC created this PSA which celebrates the diversity of NYC and encourages New Yorkers to not only vote in the June Primary, but also rank their choices. Download the PSA here and download the graphics here.

text: A graphic with the illustration of a 1 train with text that reads Neighborhoods have power. Seize it. Rank your vote. Early Voting June 12-20 Election Day June 22
A graphic with an illustration of boys playing basketball with text that reads Neighborhoods have power. Seize it. Rank your vote. Early Voting June 12-20 Election Day June 22.

Reaching New Yorkers Through Art!

In collaboration with F.Y. Eye, DemocracyNYC created a series of ads which celebrates the vibrancy of NYC and our right to vote in local elections. The art featured in this series was made by the Washington Heights artists Ruben Dario Ramirez, Bernardo Rodriguez, and Suzanne Ruzzo, and can be downloaded in this toolkit.

An aerial image of the People's Bus with the link participate.nyc.gov in the image. 

People's Bus

This weekend, the NYC Civic Engagement Commission (CEC), Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), and Public Artist in Residence (PAIR) Yazmany Arboleda officially unveil “The People’s Bus.” Over the past year, the CEC has worked with Arboleda as part of DCLA’s PAIR program to develop The People’s Bus, an ongoing, transformative process to reimagine public space in partnership with New Yorkers. The process galvanizes greater civic participation first in the physical transformation of the look, use, and feel of a bus from a retired NYC Department of Correction vehicle into a community center on wheels geared toward engaging people in NYC’s civic life through beauty and joy. The transformation will continue through various participatory events and projects throughout the summer, including a voter education tour during the first 5 days of early voting. CEC will conclude the tour today, Wednesday, June 16 in Union Square from 5 PM - 9 PM.
Alt text: An illustration of a Nepali family looking at and discussing a Ranked Choice Voting ad. 

Celebrating Immigrant Voices this Election

For many immigrant New Yorkers, voting is something they do as a community. Check out our latest ad, made in collaboration with Adhikaar, which captures this very sentiment. This ad was made in collaboration with Untamed Anatomy, a Nepalese illustrator that draws on her South Asian heritage to honor the humanness of joy, anxiety, frustration, and reflective meditation in her work. Download this graphic and more in our Immigrant Heritage Month Toolkit, which also features videos we created in collaboration with We Speak NYC.
An animated image of a black woman with a vote mask and text that reads: All power to the voters This June, don't waste your vote, rank it! Learn more: voting.nyc Even if your first choice doesn't win you still have a say in who represents you
An animated image of a black man putting his vote in the poll box with a vote mask, a blue NYC cap and a pin that reads Your City Your Voice Your Choice and text that reads: Even if your first choice doesn't win you still have a say in who represents you. voting.nyc

Get Out the Vote this Juneteenth

Annually celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. This year, DemocracyNYC is celebrating Juneteenth by elevating the voices of local artists. Download and watch our videos featuring Harlem based youth poet Fanta Ratty and Brooklyn native rapper Kel Spencer. The City will also be celebrating Juneteenth throughout the week, including this Friday, June 18 at 6 PM at St. Nicholas Park - James Baldwin Lawn.

An image of someone looking at the results of our interactive Ranked Choice Voting dim sum interactive ballot 

Get Involved!

Election Protection

Join DemocracyNYC’s Election Protection team. We'll have shifts available from now until Primary Election Day, June 22. As an election observer, you will be assigned to the outside of one or more poll sites to observe, direct voters with questions to helpful nonpartisan resources, and report possible instances of voter intimidation and harassment or other problems you witness. Once you sign up for a shift, we will provide you with all of the training, materials, and information you will need ahead of the primary elections. Do your part and sign up now to serve as a poll site observer!

Get Out the Vote Phone Banking and In-Person Efforts

Participate in DemocracyNYC’s Get Out the Vote phone banks and in-person canvassing efforts by signing up to volunteer here.

Social Media Day of Action

Join us for a Social Media Day of Action this Thursday, June 17 at 10 AM to get out the ranked vote! All you have to do is post content encouraging people in your networks to get out the vote - see graphics and draft copy in our Countdown to Election Day, Immigrant Heritage Month, Juneteenth and Practice Ranked Choice Voting toolkits. Tag us at @democracynyc and @NYCCEC.
A navy blue image with the NYC skyline in the background with text that reads Ranked Choice Voting is Here! Join us for an important virtual workshop on Ranked Choice Voting and What's At Stake with the upcoming June Primary in English with Haitian Creole interpretation. Thursday, June 17, 2021 6-7 PM on.nyc.gov/BKLHaitian 

Mark Your Calendar for the Following Events

 

Who Are We?

DemocracyNYC

DemocracyNYC is a nonpartisan initiative of the City of New York focused on increasing voter participation and civic engagement in NYC. Part of that mission is to encourage every eligible New Yorker to make their voice heard at the ballot box. DemocracyNYC also works to address and eliminate historic barriers to voting through public education, outreach, and policy reform efforts. Currently we are focusing on encouraging voters to participate in special and local elections by educating New Yorkers on Ranked Choice Voting and pushing for long term reform through legislation. Learn more here and follow us at @democracynyc.

Civic Engagement Commision

The New York City Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) is a new city agency that was formed to promote civic participation and to improve civic trust. We believe that all New Yorkers should have access, knowledge, and confidence to engage fully with their government, in their communities, and in elections. CEC initiatives include: the “It’s Our Money” participatory budgeting youth pilot program, providing support to community boards, and serving language access needs of limited English proficient New Yorkers at poll sites. Get involved here and follow us on Twitter at @NYCCEC.

Read previous issues of our newsletter here.

 

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