Click on “Sample Ballot” on the top to see who is in your ballot. If you live in City Council District 9, we have a tight race. Please come out to vote.
Why vote on June 27? Districts with high turnout rates can get more attention from elected officials. In both 2021 and 2022, Election District #8 is the district with the highest voter turnout rate in East Harlem’s Primary Election. Let’s keep up this record. Last year 267 people in our district voted in the primary election. (by the way, in last year’s general election, 765 people in district 8 voted, we rank #5 in voter turnout in Assembly District 68) Let’s shoot for many more this time! You don’t live in Election District 8? It’s time to catch up!!
Why vote with the block association as a voting bloc? Voting bloc commands more attention from elected officials as they know we are united and we have the ability to hold them accountable. Last 2 years, our civic engagement allows the block association to get things done for you. For example, this year, the Block Association was able to set up a monthly community advisory meeting with Lantern Organization and advocate for Fair Share, Public Safety and Affordable Housing in numerous meetings with elected officials. Follow our endorsement, which is strictly based on survey results from you all. Vote for Inez Dickens #1, Yusef Salaam #2 and Al Taylor #3.
District Leaders
Many of you ask whom to vote for in the rest of the ballot. The block association has no process right now to endorse District Leader. For what’s worth, here are my 2 cents. For Male District Leader, I am voting for William Smith who has actively engaged and empowered our block members. I have not seen Keith Lily engage our block. For Female District Leader, I would vote for Sharase DeBouse instead of Tamika Mapp. For now, I prefer to vote for someone who actually lives in our district, 68 part D. It is not yet clear why someone who don’t live in our district wants to run for a seat here.
Judicial Delegates
As for Judicial delegates, let me just say that my nextdoor neighbor Steve Travis is on the ballot for Alternate Judicial Delegate!!! Steve advocated for our neighborhood for many years and so I urge all of you to come out to vote for Steve. If you don’t’ know the others on the ballot, you can consider voting for the entire group Steve belongs to. For what’s worth, I highlighted a few people I have seen done some good work for Harlem.
Block neighbors, The results are out! Thank you for your votes. 60+% of you have voted for Inez Dickens. It seems the neighbors appreciate Inez’s track record of preserving affordable housing & her willingness to address safety & quality of life issues in Harlem.
So, the Harlem East Block Association is pleased to endorse Assembly Member Inez Dickens as the City Council Member for District 9 in Harlem. We recommend rank choice voting in this order #1 Inez Dickens #2 Yusef Salaam and #3 Al Taylor.
We invite all of you to vote as we recommended because when we vote together in large numbers, we will get the attention of these busy officials.
