August 2019: This article was written during my internship last summer with New York 1 News. The content is extremely relevant now as the general election approaches in November.
I don’t have time. I don’t know if I’m registered. I have more important things to do on Election Day. My vote doesn’t matter.
We’ve all heard the excuses for why someone chose not to vote on Election Day. Whether it’s a small local election or a presidential election, everyone knows at least one person that chose to stay home rather than go to their local polling place to cast their vote on election day.
Many Democratic residents of Queens had this attitude on primary election day at the end of last month. These residents figured their vote would not matter and that the election was not very important. But as it turns out, this election ended up being an extremely important and close race as establishment candidate, Melinda Katz, is ahead of progressive candidate,Tiffany Caban, by just 16 votes.
On Election night, Caban declared victory as she was ahead by over 1,000 votes with more than 99% of votes counted. She announced at her election night party in Woodside, Queens, “Tonight, we won the Queens district attorney’s office!” Caban believed that night that even after the absentee ballots were counted, she would still have enough votes to secure the office.
But as the absentee ballots began to be counted last week, that gap closed and Katz now leads Caban by less than twenty votes.
Melinda Katz is the current borough president of Queens and was originally the frontrunner in the race as she was well-established in Queens politics. Tiffany Caban is a 31 year old, Queer-Latina public defender that has a progressive agenda. Caban is a supporter of eliminating cash bail, decriminalizing sex work and not creating any new jails in Queens.
In the last few weeks, there has been an unusual amount of attention paid to this local Queens election. Two presidential candidates, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, endorsed Caban. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez has also endorsed Tiffany Caban, and has been promoting Caban’s campaign over the last few weeks in rallies and public events. Caban has also received donations and support for her race from across the country.
Despite the high stakes of this election and the national attention the Queens DA race has gained, many residents chose to stay home on primary Election Day. Less than 100,000 people voted for the next DA of Queens.
The Queens District Attorney is a prime example of why voting in every election is extremely important no matter how small the race. An election can come down to just a few votes, and the outcome can greatly impact a community. Local elections effect and impact the lives of members of each community in the United States greatly. There is no level of government that is more directly responsible for serving communities than local elected officials. Local government affects most aspects of the daily lives of Americans across the country. The quality of schools is impacted by local elected officials, public safety, rent costs, affordable housing, policing, public transit and more.
Many federal laws that have been put into place have started at the local and state level. Policies such as women’s suffrage, minimum wage, environmental protection, and marriage equality all began at the local and state level. By voting in local elections and holding local officials accountable for their actions, everyday Americans can create change that affects the country.
Amelia Morel 