Eliot Force

Aug 10, 2024 | cityandstateny.com | Eliot Force

In our great democracy’s elections, we can vote for whomever we want through the magic of write-in ballots, even if the person we are voting for is in fact not a person but a cartoon character. In elections where neither candidate is appealing to a voter, most would simply stay home, but a few mischievous constituents always make their way to the polls to make their disillusionment known in some small way.

Aug 8, 2024 | cityandstateny.com | Eliot Force

State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky is facing first-time challenger Yiatin Chu in the race for Senate District 11 in northeastern Queens. Stavisky has held office for 25 years. She was first elected in 1999, and she has won every election since then. Her challenger, Chu, is a political newcomer who made a name for herself in education advocacy.

Jul 31, 2024 | cityandstateny.com | Eliot Force

The system would automatically register people to vote when they interact with state agencies which already possess all of the necessary information needed to do so. The goal of this legislation in New York is to boost participation among the more than 1 million people in the state who are eligible to vote but have not registered. “We have one of the worst levels of voting participation in the country, and we have worked hard since we took the majority to repair that,” state Sen.

Jul 25, 2024 | cityandstateny.com | Eliot Force

Sometimes issues can live or die with a decision from one influential person. That was recently highlighted by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s halt to congestion pricing, but it’s not just governors who have that power. Politicians at all levels and even politically engaged citizens can almost single-handedly bring down projects that would have otherwise moved forward. Here are a few key New York City projects and the individuals who killed them.

Jul 24, 2024 | cityandstateny.com | Eliot Force

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress on Wednesday about the war in Gaza and the need for continued support from the United States. Netanyahu is under a great deal of pressure as he faces calls for resignation at home and international protests surrounding the ongoing war and its death toll. The protests even manifested in Congress.