What you need to know about the Feb. 2 special election
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 22-JAN. 28, 2021 5
BY JACOB KAYE
The first election in Queens
in 2021 is fast approaching.
On Tuesday, Feb. 2, voters in
Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok,
Electchester, Fresh Meadows,
Hillcrest, Jamaica Estates,
Briarwood, Parkway Village,
Jamaica Hills and Jamaica
will head to the polls to vote in
the special election to fill the
New York City Council seat in
District 24.
Eight candidates are currently
seeking the seat, which
became vacant after former
Councilman Rory Lancman
took a job as Governor Andrew
Cuomo’s new special counsel
for ratepayer protection.
The nonpartisan election
will also be the first test of the
city’s new ranked-choice voting
system, which after being
overwhelmingly approved by
voters in 2019, has come under
fire in the months leading up to
its implementation.
Despite legal challenges by
several Queens electeds, the
new system, which allows voters
to rank their top five choices
instead of choosing just one
candidate, will be used in the
Feb. 2 special election.
The winner of District 24’s
special election will serve until
the end of the year, when Lancman’s
term is set to end. Voters
in the district will also cast ballots
for the seat in during the
June 22 primary elections and
during the November general
elections. The winner of the November
election will represent
the district come January 2022.
Seven of the eight candidates
on the ballot for the special election
have not previously run for
public office.
See the list of candidates
running in the City Council
special election in District 24
below:
Moumita Ahmed: A progressive
community activist,
Ahmed is campaigning on,
among other issues, tenants
rights, climate change and
shifting money from the NYPD
to various social services.
Michael Brown: A real estate
agent, Brown is campaigning
on, among other issues, the
development of economic zones,
the COVID-19 recovery and providing
relief to New York City
yellow cab medallion owners
and drivers.
James Gennaro: A former
councilman in District 24,
Gennaro is campaigning on,
among other issues, centrist
government in New York City,
revamping governance of public
schools and addressing the
city’s infrastructure against
storms.
Neeta Jain: A Democratic
district leader, Jain
is campaigning on, among
other issues, providing affordable
healthcare to city
residents, providing financial
relief to small businesses
during the pandemic and
pushing for the creation of
more affordable housing.
Dilip Nath: Nath, the president
of the New American
Voters Association, is campaigning
on, among other issues,
increasing public schools
funding, providing COVID-19
economic relief and expanding
health care for seniors.
Mujib Rahman: A community
activist, Rahman is
campaigning on, among other
issues, public safety, increasing
funding for the NYPD and
expanding school choice.
Deepti Sharma: Sharma,
a small business advocate, is
campaigning on, among other
issues, reinvesting in the
community, making the district
more accessible, making
Queens more equitable.
Soma Syed: Syed, president
of the Queens County Women’s
Bar Association, is campaigning
on, among other issues,
ending increases on property
taxes, addressing discrepancies
in public education and
providing assistance to small
businesses.
Early voting for the special
election will begin on Jan. 23
and run until Jan. 31. Poll sites
and their hours during the early
voting period can be found
at voting.nyc by entering your
address on the “Where to Vote”
page.
The absentee ballot request
period is currently open and
will be until Jan. 26. Voters
must mail their ballot with a
postmark date prior to Feb. 3
or leave it in a drop box at any
poll site or Board of Elections
office through the end of Feb. 2.
Voters can request an absentee
ballot at vote.nyc.
Polls will be open for inperson
voting on Tuesday, Feb.
2 from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.
File photo/QNS
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