Election Day is coming up, with voters heading to the polls on Nov. 3. While the elections in New York may not be as ugly as the Ohio governor’s race, or as viral as this Democratic candidate for a seat on an Indiana county council, there’s plenty on the ballot. This year, New York City voters will also decide five ballot questions, including ones that would speed up approvals for outdoor dining and street safety projects.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Key dates
Saturday, Oct. 24: Last day to register to vote, and last day to request a mail-in ballot online or by mail. It’s also the first day of early voting.
Saturday, Oct. 24, to Sunday, Nov. 1: Early voting. Hours vary by day.
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mail ballots must be postmarked by this day and received by Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Where can I vote?
Enter your address here to see your poll site. The same page will show your sample ballot, so you can see every race and proposal before you go. If you’re voting early, note that your early voting site might not be the same as your Election Day site.
Who is on the ballot?
Governor and lieutenant governor: Gov. Kathy Hochul and her running mate, former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D), face Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and running mate Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood (R) in a race even some Hochul allies call surprisingly competitive, according to New York Focus.
Attorney general: Incumbent Letitia James (D) faces Saritha Komatireddy (R), a former federal prosecutor.
State comptroller: Tom DiNapoli (D) faces Joseph Hernandez (R).
Congress, NY-10: Brad Lander, the former city comptroller, is the Democratic nominee after beating Rep. Dan Goldman in June’s primary. Lander faces Jennifer Moore (R).
State Senate, District 26: Incumbent Andrew Gounardes (D) faces Tom Stanten (R).
Assembly, District 52: Incumbent Jo Anne Simon (D) faces Brett Wynkoop (R).
Judges: You’ll also see two judicial races. Four Civil Court candidates are running unopposed for four seats, and four of the five state Supreme Court candidates have both the Democratic and Republican lines, making both races effectively decided.
The five ballot proposals
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Commission on Government Efficiency (yes, COGE, a nod to Elon Musk’s DOGE) wrote all five after a summer of public hearings. Each one amends the City Charter, which is why it needs your vote rather than the City Council’s. Four of the five aim to speed up city approvals, often by cutting steps like public hearings and review. The fifth sets a savings target for the city’s rainy day fund.
Proposal 1: Outdoor dining, ramps and benches.
The first proposal would merge and shorten the city’s approval process for using public space for things like dining structures, sidewalk cafes, ramps and benches. The commission is aiming for about two months, down from as long as eight for a sidewalk cafe. The proposal would drop the mandatory public hearing and have the Department of Transportation gather public input in other ways. Sidewalk cafes would also no longer be subject to community board review or face a possible City Council veto. For the Heights, that would likely mean faster approvals for restaurants on streets like Henry and Atlantic.
Proposal 2: City contracting.
The city spends roughly 40% of its budget, $42.3 billion in fiscal year 2025, on outside contractors, from nonprofits running after-school programs to companies building infrastructure. The process is notoriously slow: the commission heard from nonprofits that wait a year or more to get paid for work they’ve already done. This proposal would trim the paperwork small businesses and nonprofits fill out, speed up contract approvals and cut what the commission calls unnecessary reporting requirements. The commission estimates it would save up to 30 days.
Proposal 3: Street safety, city land and office leases.
This proposal bundles several changes related to how the city uses and disposes of the land it owns. The first piece would simplify the review of street safety projects, aiming to speed up the construction of bike lanes, bus lanes and other roadway improvements. The second would expedite the city’s sale or lease of small properties it owns and of the air rights over city-owned landmarks, and make it faster for the city to rent office space for its workers.
Proposal 4: Construction permits.
This would simplify construction permitting. According to the commission, New Yorkers renovating a home or building affordable housing currently have to navigate more than a dozen agencies to get the permits they need. The proposal would create one central hub for those permits. It would also put the Department of Buildings in charge of waterfront building permits, which the commission says would not affect how the city determines the use of waterfront land. Lastly, the proposal would let more of the department’s senior officials give final sign-off on permits.
Proposal 5: Rainy day fund.
This would set a goal of saving at least 12% of the city’s tax revenue in its rainy day fund, the reserve meant to prevent cuts and layoffs in a recession or emergency. The Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) and Reinvent Albany, two watchdog groups that support a stronger fund, oppose the measure. In a New York Daily News op-ed, CBC President Andrew Rein argued that the proposal wouldn’t require the city to fix two fundamental flaws: the city doesn’t have to deposit money into the fund, and the fund can be used for “virtually any reason.” Reinvent Albany raised similar concerns, saying the target is easy to game and the rules for withdrawals are too loose.
Heights Happenings
Know how to sell art? Longtime Brooklyn Heights resident and talented singer Andrea Levitt Baum is looking for someone to help sell her art and doll collection. If you (or someone you know) know how to sell art, or you know of a service that could be helpful, please send PS a message on Substack or email tips@pineapplestreetbk.com.
“Friends with a Benefit.” Friends of the Brooklyn Heights Branch Library is hosting a benefit in partnership with 831 Stories on Monday, Nov. 9, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The event will have a raffle and auction prizes from local businesses such as Outline, Dinah and QC Spa on Governors Island. Tickets available here.
A pumpkin party at Poplar Street Community Garden. The community garden at the corner of Poplar and Hicks streets is hosting a Halloween pumpkin party with arts and crafts, pumpkin activities, treats and an herb giveaway on Sunday, Oct. 25, from noon to 3 p.m. To reserve a pumpkin, RSVP to poplargarden@gmail.com.
Scary movie night at Elsa. The bar on Atlantic Avenue is showing “The Fly” on Sunday, Oct. 25, and “Jennifer’s Body” on Saturday, Oct. 31, in the backyard patio with complimentary popcorn. Both movies start at 7:30 p.m.
More Halloween dog costume events! Cobble Hill Park will host its annual Halloween dog costume party in the park on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. The park will be collecting clean towels, blankets, linens, toys and unopened food for Queens Animal Care Center. Over on Pineapple Street, Paws on Pineapple will host its fourth annual dog costume contest on Saturday, Oct. 31. Stop by with your dressed-up dog to be entered to win a prize.
Two best-selling novelists are coming to the Heights next week. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barbara Kingsolver will be speaking with Amor Towles, author of “A Gentleman in Moscow,” at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 7 to 8 p.m. The authors will discuss “Partita,” Kingsolver’s new book about a former piano prodigy.
A marriage story, on separate floors. Anne Kadet wrote a charming Curbed piece about a Heights couple who own apartments one flight apart in the same co-op. Book editor Sarah Crichton and retired IBM research scientist Len Berman met on OkCupid in 2020 and married in 2022. His place has industrial shelving and retail grid panels; hers has patterned rugs and midcentury furniture. Their one rule: never sleep apart.
One Monroe Place hit the market for $15 million. The 174-year-old townhouse, host of this year’s Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse, is listed for $14.995 million. The abutting three-story carriage house at 94 Clark St. is also on the market for $6 million, per the New York Post. The two properties can be bought together or separately, according to the listing.
In more real estate news…John Krasinski and Emily Blunt sold a ninth-floor apartment in the Standish for $6.5 million in an off-market deal over the summer, Curbed reported. The couple first bought into the star-studded building in 2018, when they paid $11 million for two units spanning the eighth floor.
Courtesy of LES Ecology Center Get rid of your old electronics. There’s a community recycling event at First Unitarian Congregational Society on Pierrepont Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. See the flyer above for what they do and don’t accept.
Montague Diner has a fun fall cocktails lineup. There’s a Montague Mule, Cosmo Rouge and classics like the Bee’s Knees. The “Nite Owl” special gets you 25% off classic cocktails on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to close.
Brooklyn Bridge Park is hosting a free fall migration bird walk. Park educators will lead the walk around Pier 1 on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., looking for warblers, sparrows and possibly flycatchers. It’s open to all ages, and loaner binoculars are available. Spots are limited to 30; registration is encouraged but not required. The walk meets at the Pier 1 Pavilion.
Nearby News
Nako is expanding to Carroll Gardens. The Columbia Place coffee shop is opening a second location at the corner of Smith and Third streets in early November.
Mahjong 101 is back at Ziggy’s in Dumbo. Chop Suey Club is hosting a beginner Cantonese mahjong class at Ziggy’s Roman Cafe on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets include Ziggy’s pizza buffet.
Help shape the future of the Dean and Bergen streets bike boulevards. DOT is holding public workshops for residents to share their experiences and concerns about Dean and Bergen streets on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Thursday, Nov. 12, both at 6:30 p.m. You can register for the Zoom meetings here.
Community Board 6 has a new app. CB6, which covers Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Red Hook and the Columbia Street Waterfront District, launched an app to give residents easier access to public information.
Speaking of community boards…Applications are now open for Brooklyn community boards — groups that work with local leaders, elected officials and city agencies to shape decisions that affect their neighborhoods. Any New York City resident 16 or older who lives, works or has a significant interest in the district can apply. Apply by Monday, Feb. 8.
How would you put Brooklyn on a pin? Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is looking for a Brooklynite to design the next official Brooklyn pin. The design competition is open to all residents of Brooklyn and non-resident students attending a K through 12 school in the borough. Apply by Sunday, Dec. 6.
Hi- Love these updates! How can we share news you might want to include in a future edition? I'm doing an all-ages park cleanup/flower planting on 11/1 at Adam Yauch. TY! :)
Thanks for the shoutout! I’m your neighbor and also on Substack! We should meet up!