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Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor looks
to break barriers as Judge
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz has passed legislation that would require all absentee ballots
statewide to be trackable using an online system. Courtesy of Facebook
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR UNE 4-10, 2021 15
BY ARIEL PACHECO
Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor, a
candidate for Civil Court Judge
in the Bronx, is hoping her candidacy
and possible victory can
knock down barriers and help a
lot more women run for offi ce.
“I hope I can bring some diversity
in terms of representation
as a woman, as a Latina,
as a Bronxite,” said Gonzalez-
Taylor.
Campaigns for Civil Court
Judge often go under the radar
as the position is not as wellknown
in comparison to mayor
or comptroller. However, it’s
an important position because
judges decide important cases
pertaining to individuals, the
law, and civil rights.
Gonzalez-Taylor would
bring a wide-ranging perspective
and experience to the seat.
She is a veteran. She has served
as a hearing offi cer for the last
11 years for the Department of
Education. She has worked in
the NYPD working on cases
involving corruption and conduct.
Gonzalez-Taylor has been a
professor since 2011, and it has
helped give her a new perspective
as she says young people
see things differently. She feels
as though her vast experience
has prepared her for the job of
Judge.
Most importantly though,
she says she can relate emotionally
to the struggles that Bronxites
are facing because she’s
lived it too.
“I’ve had those same struggles.
That itself I think is a big
plus to a candidate like me that
I bring to the table not just a legal
knowledge of 20 years. The
intellectual stuff is checked off
but I actually know the life of a
Bronxite.”
Gonzalez-Taylor, a mother of
three kids, is concerned about
the issues currently plaguing
the Bronx. COVID has exacerbated
issues like the struggles
of small businesses and the increase
in crime. She expects it
to be refl ected in the caseload if
she were to win.
If Gonzalez-Taylor were to
be elected, she would be assigned
to one of three courts:
civil, family, or criminal. She
would be assigned based on the
needs of the court. She says this
is crucial because oftentimes
people vote without knowing
that the judges will end up in
any one of the three courts.
“When people go to vote,
they don’t know that judges
can end up in family or criminal
courts and I think that’s
where the lived experience I
have comes in handy in terms
of knowing the struggles of our
Bronxites deeply,” said Gonza
Photo courtesy of Gonzalez-Taylor lez-Taylor.
Dinowitz passes
absentee ballot
tracking legislation
BY BRONX TIMES
As New York continues taking steps
to expand vote-by-mail options, Assemblyman
Jeffrey Dinowitz has passed
legislation that would require all absentee
ballots statewide to be trackable
using an online system.
This would be similar to the system
in place under the New York City
Board of Elections and would take effect
Jan. 1, 2022. The effective date of
this legislation would coincide with
the start of no-excuse absentee ballots
in New York if the measure is ratifi ed
by voters this November.
The online ballot tracking system
would be required to, at minimum, inform
voters whether:
The application for an absentee ballot
has been received by the relevant
Board of Elections,
Said application has been approved
or rejected and if rejected to inform
voters of the reason why it was rejected,
The absentee ballot has been mailed
and/or delivered to a voter and the relevant
dates or expected dates, as well
as if the absentee ballot was returned
to the Board of Elections as undeliverable,
The completed absentee ballot has
been received back by the Board of
Elections,
The Board of Elections determines
the absentee ballot outer envelope is
appropriately signed and submitted
and
The absentee ballot has been
counted or rejected, and if rejected,
why the ballot was rejected.
The legislation specifi cally creates
an online absentee ballot tracking system
through the New York State Board
of Elections, where local boards of elections
maintain their own absentee ballot
tracking system, which is integrated
into the state system. Voters would not
be required to create an account, but
would have to verify that they are accessing
their own voter record.
The bill remains to be passed in
the Senate, but has been reported from
committees and is currently awaiting a
vote by the full chamber.
“We have continued to take steps
to make it as easy as possible for New
Yorkers to vote in our elections, and in
a few short months voters will have the
opportunity to enshrine permanent noexcuse
absentee balloting in our state
constitution,” Dinowitz said.
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