It’s been clear since the political ads started airing in August: New York City is in a ‘fromance with Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio. And with a 54-point lead in the latest poll, the Public Advocate is slated to be our next mayor. If the winner seems to be in the bag, will people still turn up to cast their vote?
Bedford + Bowery teamed up with digital journalism grad students from NYU’s Studio 20 to hit the streets and find out what would be getting people to the polls — or keeping them away.
Click on the map’s sliders to see who’s voting and why or why not. Each dot represents a person. Below that, browse through our profiles of neighborhood faces, and read their take on this election’s most important issues.
Jimmy McMillan is onto something – the rent is too damn high. Affordable housing clocked in as the number one issue for voters, with 35% of people calling it their most important issue. Just 3% percent said legalization of marijuana mattered most to them. Looks like Jimmy‘s got the leg up on Mary Jane.
What you don’t know can’t…get you to the polls. 10% of people not voting said they didn’t know enough about the candidates, the issues, or the offices to want to vote.
What we thought was hipster apathy may actually be political strategy. Many of the 41% of non-voters that aren’t registered to vote in New York told us they were hanging onto their voter registration in their “home” states…especially those from historic swing states.
Reporting by Erin Brown, Kristin Oakley, Lilah Raptopoulos, Kuang Keng Kuek Ser, and the rest of the students of Studio 20.