Political expert laments lackluster showing so far at the polls on Election Day
NEW YORK -- Voters will decide on a wide range of races on Tuesday, from the statehouse in New Jersey to the halls of New York City.
It's an off-year election that so far has failed to turn on voters, and that's a factor that could have an outsized influence in who wins and who loses, and who makes the decisions that affect our lives.
"You're talking about less than a thousand votes making up the difference in any of these elections. Less than 100, frankly, in some," political expert O'Brien Murray said.
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A handful of people were seen voting on West 84th Street in Manhattan, an example of the lackluster turnout so far as voters across the five boroughs pick candidates for 51 City Council seats.
In New York, as election results have shown, it's a daunting task to get people to vote.
"You're asking somebody to say take time away from your job, your family, your personal time, go to the polls and vote," Murray said.
Several of the City Council races are hotly contested, like the newly drawn so-called "Asian opportunity" seat in Brooklyn's District 43.
"I believe a lot of people going to come but how many, it's hard to say," Democrat Susan Zhuang said.
"I hope they will come out to to vote and I expect they will come out to vote today," Republican Ying Tan said.
Also running on the Conservative line, the only non-Asian in the race, Vito Labella.
Turnout could decide other key races, including in Brooklyn's 47th District, where two councilmen, Justin Brannan, a Democrat, is facing off against Ari Kagan, a Democrat who switched to the Republican Party. In the 19th District in Queens, Republican incumbent Vickie Paladino is in a rematch with Democrat Tony Avella.
As of late Tuesday morning, turnout has been nothing to write home to mom about, as only 86,000 people took advantage of early voting, an anemic 2% of the 4.6 million registered voters in New York City.
Turnout will also a big factor in Suffolk County, where Democratic County Executive Steve Bellone is term limited and Republicans are hoping to capture the seat. A Republican victory could also help the party keep control of Congress, because a Republican win could help the freshmen Long Island congressmen elected last year to fend off a strong challenges from Democrats.
Vying to replace Bellone is Brookhaven Town Supervisor Edward Romaine, a Republican, and former federal and state prosecutor and private investment manager David Calone, a Democrat.
"Accountability. We lack that in county government," Romaine said Monday.
"As a prosecutor and a businessman, I bring a different skill set," Calone said.
There are many other races, including for district attorney in the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. In Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano is hoping to prevail and in New Jersey, candidates are vying for state Senate and General Assembly seats.
And let's not forget all the judicial races, the people who will decide who goes to jail or remains on the streets.