On November 2nd 2021, The Mayoral election took place in New York City which was kind of a big deal for a New Yorker like myself. I was born and raised in New York City and I still call this beloved city my home. As I’m getting older of course my view of the city is changing, because my experience in the city is much different. I’m no longer a kid who’s just fantasizing about the city and the skylights, now I’m really living within it and seeing how everything in this city move and shake.
Since the Covid 19 pandemic hit New York in March 2020, our city has been on a continuous downward spiral. From oversized rats, less street cleaning, loss of jobs, violence leading to death on the MTA system, overpriced apartments, police brutality, protests against police brutality, robberies and random acts of gun violence; this city is a full on mess and trust me I can go on and on with the list.
Because this city is a mess and as a resident I contribute to this city in many ways, through taxes and consumership, why not vote? This pandemic has definitely gave me an outstanding point of view on my role in my community and in my city. I actually wish NYC had an advocate to get more people involved in voting and understanding the ballot. I do believe the website voting.nyc does a great job with informing voters on the the election details but I just can’t stand that our state election isn’t a huge deal like the presidential election. It’s just as important and although NY is a democratic state people probably don’t worry much and think democrats will always show out for the votes, but for young voters, new voters and older voters there must be even more information and understanding.
In this past election there were questions on the ballot pertaining to the New York State Constitution and I couldn’t help but feel like I was making some real ass decisions and I wasn’t sure if I was making the right ones. Which is a common feeling when voting in general, whether you’re voting for a future incumbent or deciding on a constitutional right; but still it would be great to have people who are equally yoked in connecting and teaching more in-depth information about the voting topics. Getting people to the polls is one thing but making the right choice on the ballot is another.
Overall I’m glad I went out to vote. I’m excited to see what’s in store for the city in the future and how these next couple of years will change my views on the city and my vote for the next election. 😉
See you at the polls in the next couple years!
XOXO
Diamond D.
