Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Appears Live on 1010 WINS

November 3, 2020

Lee Harris: Joining us on the Live Line this morning, Mayor de Blasio. Happy Election Day, Mayor. First thing we'd like to ask you about is the possibility of demonstrations, or maybe even unrest in the city tonight. You said that you are unaware of any specific threats. Is that still your assessment? 

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Yeah, Lee, that is. And happy Election Day to you. And this is the day we've been waiting for, for a long time. So, first and foremost, I want to encourage all New Yorkers to get out there and vote. Today should be a great day to vote, a beautiful day outside, but also, you know, so many people have early voted, 1.1 million, that it should be a little bit easier on Election Day itself than normally. But, Lee, no, we are not seeing any major demonstrations being planned at this moment. I think it will play out more as we see results, but, you know, the city's ready, the NYPD is ready, and the most important thing here is that people need to participate in this election and then, obviously, respect the will of the people. And if anyone has a concern, demonstrate peacefully. That's what we got to keep emphasizing. 

Harris: Now, the NYPD did advise businesses in Midtown to secure anything outside their stores that could be thrown but did not advise to board up windows, a lot of them have done that anyway though. Do you still feel that that is unnecessary? 

Mayor: Lee, based on what we are seeing there's not a particular reason to do that. It's up to each store owner obviously but the important point here is we're ready for different situations. I think there’s different scenarios that could happen tonight obviously, and the one I prefer is a strong resounding win for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris because I think that will put a lot of these issues to bed. But, no, the NYPD has not guided store owners to do anything more than, as you said, secure certain items outside. If anything changes, we'll certainly let people know but right now I think the focus is on, you know, a safe Election Day and maximizing everyone's participation, because look this is an unprecedented election, Lee. This is without question the most important election of our lifetimes. That’s a phrase that gets thrown around but this time it really means it. This is the real thing and the most important point is anyone who has not yet made a plan to vote, you have up until 9:00 PM tonight. This is the chance to decide the course of our nation. Everyone needs to participate. 

Harris: Without giving away any secrets, can you tell us what form the NYPD presence might take tonight? 

Mayor: Lee, we certainly have ample resources available, but you know we don't, again, have a specific focal point yet. I think the vast majority of people, obviously, are staying home on a night like this. It's not like it would have been potentially in a different year without a pandemic. So, we don't have a focal point yet. We obviously know that the count of the votes alone could take days, legitimately could take days because so many people are voting, so many absentee ballots, etcetera. So, we'll watch each and every new development. We will be ready but right now I think it's just about people, you know, assuming the best, going on with our lives, and getting out there and voting, 

Harris: Would you advise New Yorkers to stay home tonight if they don't have anywhere particular ago? 

Mayor: Look, there obviously are not traditional celebrations and gatherings so I would advise people just recognize like any other day in this pandemic said the goal is to stay safe, obviously to avoid any large gathering, but I have not heard anything planned. I mean you know normally, Lee, the Democratic Party would be having all sorts of events, candidates would be having all sorts of events. People are just not doing that this year in light of the pandemic. It’s a different year but we hope the results of the election are going to help us through this year to a better place.  

Harris: Okay, speaking of voting – Board of Elections apparently got some absentee ballots from dead people, a few of them apparently. Do you know anything about this? 

Mayor: I don’t, Lee. We have seen next to no fraud. This has been all over the country, a very clean election, very, very few before reports of any kind of problem fraud. The Board of Elections, you know I have my differences with them but in the end the 1.1 million New Yorkers early voted. We could have that much more voting today. So, overwhelmingly, people are participating and participating safely and cleanly, and that's what matters. And again, people have until nine o'clock tonight and if you're in line – important point, Lee – if you’re in line by nine, no matter how long that line is, the election site will stay open to accommodate your vote. 

Harris: Okay, thank you for joining us this morning, Mayor. And here's hoping for a quiet night – 

Mayor: Amen. Thank you, Lee.