Back in the day you closed the curtain on the voting booth, pulled down the levers next to the names of the candidates of choice and pulled the large handle, “clang” as the voting machine registered your vote. The “clang” was satisfying, the noise of democracy at the grassroots level.
This morning I signed my name on the I-Pad, two large sheets, names on both sides, I bubbled in the boxes down Column A, the Democratic Party line. State offices, judges of different courts and five ballot questions. The City Charter is the city constitution. more like bylaws, 300 pages of regulations with an impressive preamble.
We, the people of New York city, declare that our city is a multiracial democracy, and that our diversity is our strength. We honor and respect the cultures, languages, and histories of all who call and have called this land home, and we celebrate their revolutionary imagination, courage, and resiliency.We strive to be a city where the value, talents, and contributions of every New Yorker are recognized and embraced, and where equity and inclusiveness, community empowerment, accessibility, and opportunity for every New Yorker are the unwavering standards to which we are held accountable in all aspects of governance, business, and service delivery.
The “propositions,” changes to the Charter recommended by a mayoral-appointed charter revision commission, I voted “no” on questions 1,2 and 3. Although the approval for many land use issues takes a long time, public hearings, required approval by council members, etc. public input may be slow, everyone’s voice should be heard.
My polling place is the community room in my building!!
Our polling place was a neighborhood elementary school, a very old building. I knew a few teachers who taught in the school, election days were a mess. The students’ lunchroom closed for a few days, serving lunch in the classrooms was disruptive and I began asking around, meeting with my local electeds, eventually, the Board of Election took a look, my community room has a full kitchen: a done deal!
From the time I slide my ballot into the scanner until the results begin trickling in, well-described by Jared Bernstein, one of my favorite Substackers,
Right now, literally everyone I know is on shpilkes (Yiddish for “pins and needles”) ahead of the mids tomorrow. I plan to scribble a bit here, clean my closet, exercise, get my oil changed—anything to get from time t to time t+1 or t+[whenever the votes are counted].
Polymarket, a major prediction site,
DEMOCRAT HAVE A 76% CHANCE OF CONTROLLING THE SENATE
Although the polls close in New York State at 9 pm closing times vary across the nation, Nate Cohn in The Tilt reports
Today, the voters will have the final say on the 2026 election.
But as has so often been the case in recent years, we might not learn their verdict on election night.
To see why, check out my colleague Alicia Parlapiano’s great state-by-state guide on when all the polls close and when each state reported its results in 2024.
In particular, it won’t leave you optimistic about getting a quick answer on which party will control the Senate.
The Democrats will control the House of Representatives, and will control the flow of legislation. The first business in the new term: selecting a Speaker, and Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Congress member will undoubtedly be elected and a scramble among the Dems for committee chairs and leadership positions The legislative process is mired in tradition, see here; however aides report the new Speaker intends to pass bills “in the first hundred hours .”
Mr. Jeffries, according to aides, plans in the first 100 hours to speed legislation to the floor that would:
- Reinstate expired Affordable Care Act health care premium subsidies.
- Reverse the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts that were included in the president’s domestic policy law.
- Move to end Mr. Trump’s tariffs and restore congressional power over trade policy.
- Direct Mr. Trump to end the war in Iran or seek authorization from Congress to continue it.
Democratic leaders believe the measures are all consensus items among their members that are basic enough to bypass time-consuming committee consideration and go straight to the floor. They could be voted on before committees were even set up, and would be all but certain to pass in the House, where a simple majority is needed.
The overriding question: will the Democrats control the Senate, currently the Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, ties are broken by the Vice President. Without control of the Senate: gridlock. Even with control of both houses, legislation requires the signature of the president. A bumpy, twisting road ahead.
The Real Clear Politics site:
AlaskaR → DPeltola +1
KansasR → DHamilton +4.1
MaineR → DJackson +3.6
North CarolinaR → DCooper +11.0
OhioR → DBrown +2.8
TexasR → DTalarico +2.6
If you’re super nerdy take a look at the NY Times Interactive Senate polling site
Tomorrow morning I have a Donor Rehearsal at the NY Philharmonic followed by lunch with a dear friend, probably more discussion of the conductor who we’ve never heard, and, the election results? hope springs eternal.
