Driven to the voting booth by a combination of civic duty and desire for progressive change, voters came to P.S. 234 in Astoria to make their voices heard in the Queens district attorney’s race — and many of them had their minds made up by the time they got there.
With the exception of one resident who voted for Mina Malik, every voter who voluntarily disclosed their choice to QNS said they were voting for public defender Tiffany Cabán.
Astoria is known as one of the most progressive districts of western Queens; P.S. 234 is located in the 36th Assembly District, the only district in Queens to support Cynthia Nixon over Governor Andrew Cuomo in last year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. Many voters at P.S. 234 said that they considered Cabán to be the candidate that best reflected their values. Several said that it was her canvassing efforts that brought her to their attention.
“This is the most publicized DA election I’ve ever seen. And especially in this neighborhood, Cabán canvassers were on every corner. They came to our apartment. There’s someone with a banner on their balcony,” said Britney Wetzel.
Though there were no lines at P.S. 234, a steady stream of voters came through the poll site from 8 to 9 a.m. on their way to work. A large contingent of voters said that they were driven to there because they felt that participating in city elections was important as a reaction to the Trump presidency. Others expressed how they were excited to vote for an LGBTQ candidate of color.
Joe Morse said that he felt emboldened to vote for Cabán after a recent experience on grand jury duty served as an eye-opener.
“I saw a lot of homeless people who didn’t really understand what they were defending themselves against. Who were charged with things that seemed ridiculous … Her career as a public defender I thought was inspiring, focusing more on corporate crime and wage theft,” Morse said.
QNS has reporters at polling sites across Queens this morning as Democrats head to the polls in the all-important district attorney primary. Stay tuned to QNS today for the latest reaction from voters as well as full results later tonight!
