If a recent poll is any indication, Mayor Bill de Blasio may cruise to victory on Election Day even if he’s a polarizing figure in Queens.
The Quinnpiac University poll found that, while de Blasio is just about equally loved and loathed in the “World’s Borough,” residents aren’t getting behind any one of his challengers to make the race competitive. His closest rival, Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, trails de Blasio by more than 20 points in Queens.
For those Queens residents dissatisfied with the choices for mayor, they may feel compelled to write in their own choice when they head to the polls on Nov. 7. If you feel like writing in a candidate, look for the designated space for a write-in candidate, generally on the right hand side of the paper ballot. You’ll need to legibly write the name of your preferred candidate and completely fill in the circle within the space.
Approximately 331 write-in votes from Queens voters were counted in September’s Democratic primary, according to data from the city Board of Elections. There were another 159 write-in votes that were either unattributable or uncounted per statute.
Ironically, Malliotakis got the most write-in votes in the Democratic primary with 64. Independent candidate Bo Dietl got at total of 37 votes, 34 of which had his name spelled correctly (two were for Bo Deitl, the other was for Bo Dietle).
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former City Council Speaker (and one-time mayoral hopeful) Christine Quinn each received 16 write-in votes from Queens Democrats. Hillary Clinton got 13 write-in votes; one voter wrote in her full name, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The rest of the write-in vote list of candidates from September’s primary includes a very colorful list of names that includes former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, Vermont Senator (and Brooklyn native) Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, shock jock Howard Stern and rapper Kanye West.
Four other former mayors — including two who have passed on — also received write-in votes: Rudolph Giuliani, David Dinkins and the late Ed Koch and Fiorello LaGuardia.
Some voters turned to fiction in marking their ballot. Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man, got a write-in vote for mayor, while another Queens voter wrote down “Jon Targaryan,” a misspelled reference to a “Game of Thrones” character.
Whether you’re voting for any of the listed candidates or writing in a choice of your own, registered voters in Queens should take the time to head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; if you’re on line before the polls close, you will have the opportunity to cast your ballot. If you’re a registered voter but your name doesn’t appear on the voting roll, you can ask for an affidavit ballot; speak to a poll worker for assistance.
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