Bronx voter guide for Nov. 3
BY JENNA BAGCAL
While this year has been
tougher than usual, voting
doesn’t have to be.
Tuesday, Nov. 3 marks
Election Day, where voters
will go to the polls and make
their voices heard. This year,
Bronx residents are not only
voting for their presidential
pick, but also in many races
on the local, state and federal
levels.
As millions of voters are
casting absentee ballots this
year due to COVID-19, the
chances of fi nding out who
the winner is on Nov. 3 will
be slim. According to reports
from the Board of Elections,
more than 750,000 New Yorkers
in all fi ve boroughs have
requested absentee ballots.
Dates to remember
Early voting begins this
year on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Voters can head to their designated
polling site to vote
early, or use the time to drop
off their absentee ballots,
rather than send them in
through the mail.
The Bronx has 17 early
voting sites this year, a list
of which can be found at vote.
nyc/early-voting-information.
If you’re unsure which
voting site you are assigned
to, you can search your address
at voterlookup.elections.
ny.gov.
Find below the operating
hours of all early voting sites.
• Saturday, Oct. 24,
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 26, from
7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27, from
noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 28,
from noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 29,
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30, from 7
a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 1 from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m.
The fi nal day to request
an absentee ballot is Tuesday,
Oct. 27. Absentee ballots
can be requested at nycabsentee.
com. Voters are also able
to request an absentee ballot
in person at an early voting
site or at the Board of Elections
Bronx offi ce (located at
1780 Grand Concourse # 101,
Bronx, NY 10457), but must
do so before Nov. 2.
If mailing in the absentee
ballot, the envelope
must be postmarked by
Nov. 3, the day of the election.
Expecting a large number
of absentee ballots, the
United States Postal Service
has encouraged those voting
absentee to send in their ballots
as soon as possible
More information on absentee
voting can be found at
vote.nyc/page/absentee-voting.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, is the
day of the election. If you’re
choosing to vote in person,
head to the polls and make
your voice heard.
A few things to keep in
mind
With many irregularities,
this year’s election is shaping
up to be a confusing one. Here
are a few things to keep in
mind while fi guring out your
plan for voting.
If you’re choosing to vote
in person, you must wear
a mask and practice social
distancing at your polling
site. Poll workers will be required
to practice the same
COVID-19 protections as the
voters. Hand sanitizer will be
available at all polling locations,
and voting booths will
be socially distanced and regularly
cleaned.
If voting absentee, be sure
to follow all the rules and regulations
put forth by the Board
of Elections. If these rules are
not followed, your vote will
likely not be counted.
After making your votes
on the ballot, the ballot must
be folded and placed in a
smaller envelope. The voter
must sign and date the back
of the envelope. After sealing
the envelope, it must then be
placed in a larger envelope
that is addressed to the Bronx
Board of Elections. The ballot
can then be mailed or delivered
to the Board of Elections
offi ce, early voting place or
regular polling place on the
day of the election.
Candidates
Here is who Bronx residents
can vote for in this election
year.
NY-14
Congressional District
This race features progressive
incumbent Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat)
who won against longtime
Congressman Joe Crowley
in 2018. The congresswoman
is up against fi rst-time candidate
John C. Cummings
(Republican/Conservative)
and Michelle Caruso-Cabrera
(SAM) who challenged Ocasio
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,16 OCTOBER 23-29, 2020 BTR
Cortez during the Democratic
primary.
NY-15
Congressional District
Councilman Ritchie Torres
(Democrat) is running for
Congress after sweeping the
Democratic primary back in
June. He has held political
offi ce since November 2013.
His challenger is Patrick Delices
(Republican/Conservative)
who was a candidate in
the 2018 special election for
Senate District 32.
NY-16
Congressional District
Primary winner Jamaal
Bowman (Democrat) is another
progressive candidate
running for Congress. Bowman
won in the June primary
election and was endorsed by
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Bowman is running
against Patrick McManus
(Conservative) who has run
for multiple seats in New York
State politics.
State Senate District 29
Incumbent Jose M. Serrano
(Democrat) has represented
the Senate District 29
since 2013 and has been chair
of the Majority Conference
since 2019. Though he has
never faced a serious challenger
during his years in
offi ce, he is running against
Jose A. Colon (Republican).
State Senate District 32
Luis L. Sepulveda (Democrat)
has been in offi ce since
2017 when he replaced longtime
Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.
He is currently the chairman
of the Crime Victims, Crime
and Correction Committee.
The senator is challenged by
Jonathon Weiner (Conservative).
State Senate District 33
Incumbent J. Gustavo
Rivera (Democrat/Working
Families) has been in offi ce
since November 2010 and is
the chairman of Committee
on Health. Rivera is defending
his incumbency against
Dustin Martinez (Republican)
and Steven M. Stern
(Conservative), a perennial
candidate in multiple city and
state races.
State Senate District 34
Alessandra Biaggi (Democrat)
beat out 13-year Senator
and former Independent
Democratic Conference (IDC)
member Jeff Klein. She won
in 2018 and is the chair of Ethics
and Internal Governance
Committee. Challenging
Biaggi is James B. Gisondi
(Republican) an attorney who
served as a State Committeeman
in the Democratic party
and Antonio Vitiello (Conservative).
State Senate District 36
Incumbent Jamaal T. Bailey
(Democrat) was elected
to the Senate in 2017 and replaced
Marcos Crespo as the
chair of the Bronx County
Democratic Committee in
September. Running against
him is Robert Diamond
(Conservative) who has been
running for this seat since
2010.
Assembly District 77
Latoya Joyner (Democrat)
replaced then-Assemblywoman
Vanessa Gibson
in 2013 and won the general
election with more than 95
percent of the vote. Joyner is
being challenged by Tanya
Carmichael (Republican)
who has been running for
this seat since 2010 and Benjamin
Eggleston (Conservative)
who ran for this seat in
2018.
Assembly District 78
Incumbent José Rivera
(Democrat) assumed offi ce
in 2001 immediately after he
served as a Councilman in
the 15th Council District from
1987 to 200o. He is running
against Michael Dister (Republican).
Assembly District 79
Former Assemblyman
Michael Blake vacated this
seat during his run Congress,
leaving the position
wide open. Running in this
year’s election is Chantel
Jackson (Democrat), Donald
Skinner (Republican)
and Dion Powell (Conservative).
Assembly District 80
Incumbent Nathalia Fernandez
(Democrat) fi rst ran
for this position in a special
election back in April 2018
and upon winning, ran for a
full term, earning 81 percent
of the votes. She is running
against Gene A. Defrancis
(Republican), who ran against
her during the 2018 elections
and Elizabeth Perri (Conservative)
a perennial candidate
who has run for both Senate
and Congress.
Assembly District 81
For the fi rst time in 25
years, incumbent Jeffrey
Dinowitz (Democrat) is facing
challengers for his seat.
First elected in 1994, Dinowitz
chairs the Assembly Committee
on Judiciary. He is
challenged by Nicole J. Torres
(Republican), Alan H.
Reed (Conservative), both of
whom have previously run
for offi ce.
Assembly District 82
Michael R. Benedetto
(Democrat) has represented
District 82 for the past 15 following
a 35-year career as
an educator. John A. DeStefano
(Republican), William
E. Britt Jr. (Conservative)
who ran against Benedetto in
2018.
Assembly District 83
Carl Heastie (Democrat)
is the Speaker of the New York
State Assembly and currently
running for re-election. He is
being challenged by Brenton
Ritchie (Republican) and Regina
Cartagena (Conservative)
who ran back in 2018.
Assembly District 84
Carmen E. Arroyo
(Proven Leader) was elected
in 1994, becoming both the
fi rst Puerto Rican woman
elected to the Assembly and
the fi rst Puerto Rican woman
elected to any state assembly
in the United States. Her
incumbency is being challenged
by Amanda N. Septimo
(Democrat/Working
Families), Rosaline Nieves
(Republican) and Linda Ortiz
(Conservative), who have
all run for offi ce.
Assembly District 85
Former Bronx Democratic
Chair Marcos Crespo vacated
this seat and left the race open
for a new group of candidates.
Kenneth Burgos (Democrat)
is jumping into his fi rst major
election and is running
against Janelle King (Republican)
who has previously
run for offi ce and Gabriel Eronosele
(Conservative).
Assembly District 86
Victor M. Pichardo (Democrat)
was elected to offi ce in
a 2013 special electionand
was endorsed by U.S. Senator
Chuck Schumer. He won a full
term in 2014 with 95 percent
of the votes. He is challenged
by Lorraine E. Zeigler (Republican).
Assembly District 87
Incumbent Karines
Reyes (Democrat/Working
Families) won this seat after
Luis Sepulveda vacated
the seat back in 2018. She
is previously a registered
nurse at the Montefi ore
Einstein Hospital oncology
department. Michelle Castillo
(Republican), Juan
G. DeJesus (Conservative)
and Carl Lundgren
(Green) who ran for offi ce
back in 2017.
/ny.gov