One of the most crucial elections in our cities history will likely be decided in less than three months at the democratic primary for New York City Mayor. There are currently over 40 candidates, most of which are Democrats. Due to COVID and the unique nature of this year there aren’t many clear frontrunners. 

Andrew Yang and Eric Adams are the only two candidates that have secured consistent support in the double digits. According to polling data, over fifty percent of New Yorkers are completely undecided. 

Another aspect of this race that is different than in previous years is that there will be a system of ranking candidates instead of voting for one person. That will likely affect the strategy of the candidates as campaigning ramps up in the coming months. It will also impact how voters will think about their decisions. 

There are so many pressing issues that these candidates will be tasked with addressing. Social and economic recovery from the pandemic, police reform, and the uptick in Asian hate crimes only scratch the surface of what the future mayor must address. 

For this reason, New Yorkers that care about our community must perform our civic duty and be informed and involved in this election. 

The candidate that is elected will have a direct impact on whether our city will recover quickly from the pandemic and begin to thrive again. As well, policies will need to be implemented to address the pervasive inequalities based on race and socioeconomic status that have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. 

I know that our community members care about all of the issues but sometimes are at a loss for what they can do to make a substantial impact. Here are some examples of realistic actions you can take to be part of the solution. 

1. Mark your calendar for the two election days both the primary and general election and make a plan to vote. June 22, 2021 is the date of the primary, and November 2, 2021 is the date of the general.
2. To inform your choice(s), tune into the debates of all the candidates. There is a debate on May 13th where the candidates will be asked what they plan to do to address all of these aforementioned issues and what they envision for the future of the city. 
3. Before May 13th, start following some of the candidates social media and looking for relevant articles. 

Finally: you have the opportunity to contribute to the election of a candidate that could improve the lives of millions of New Yorkers. Get out there and vote!