This week, it was announced that five mayoral candidates will receive millions of dollars in taxpayer-supported matching funds, according to the latest disclosure from the city\u2019s Campaign Finance Board. Noticeably absent from that list was frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, whose campaign blamed a technical error for the delay in qualifying for matching dollars.<\/p>\n
There won\u2019t be a cash flow problem when it comes to getting the word out about Cuomo, though. Why? Because of New York\u2019s local political action committees, known as independent expenditures, or IEs<\/strong>. They operate separately from campaigns but raise \u2014 and spend \u2014 big money on their behalf, sort of like a candidate-specific fan club. The one supporting Cuomo\u2019s run, Fix the City, has already raised nearly $5 million \u2014 money they\u2019ve put towards things like TV ads.<\/p>\n THE CITY\u2019s Rachel Holliday Smith wrote a guide on IEs<\/strong>, why they matter a lot and how you can look up which groups are paying for the ads and flyers you\u2019ll see this election season. Keep an eye out, because huge spending by the major IEs in the city will ramp up big time in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n And also! Exciting news<\/strong> from us: We\u2019ll be co-hosting many of the official debates for the primary and general elections this year! That includes the debate on June 12 for leading Democratic primary candidates for mayor, airing on NY1, alongside our partners \u2014 NY1, Spectrum Noticias, WNYC\/Gothamist and others. Here\u2019s the full calendar of debates \u2014 save the dates!<\/p>\n Some Queens residents say their signatures were forged on ballot petitions for multiple candidates, including people running for comptroller and public advocate.<\/p>\n Days until the June primary: 68<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2753Reader Matt M. asked<\/strong>: Doesn\u2019t the winner of the general election for mayor in November have to get at least 40% of the vote to win? With a top-two run-off if he\/she doesn\u2019t get at least 40%? Or am I mixing this up with the old (pre-ranked choice voting) system for the primaries? Congratulations to the city\u2019s Board of Elections and their \u201cBattle of the Boroughs\u201d voting stickers, which won a coveted award known as \u201cThe Clearies\u201d for sticker outreach that increased voter participation. We love to see it.<\/p>\n In conclusion, big money plays a significant role in local politics, particularly through independent expenditures. As the election season heats up, it’s essential to stay informed about the candidates, their campaigns, and the outside groups supporting them. By understanding how money influences local politics, voters can make more informed decisions at the polls.<\/p>\n Introduction to Big Money in Local Politics This week, it was announced that five mayoral candidates will receive millions of dollars in taxpayer-supported matching funds, according to the latest disclosure from the city\u2019s Campaign Finance Board. Noticeably absent from that list was frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, whose campaign blamed a technical error for the delay in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":16304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16303","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thecity.nyc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/emmanual_martinez_ad.jpg?fit=1728%2C1152&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16303"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16303"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16303\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16305,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16303\/revisions\/16305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Guide to Independent Expenditures<\/h2>\n
Upcoming Debates and Elections<\/h2>\n
What We\u2019re Reading<\/h2>\n
\n
What\u2019s Ahead<\/h2>\n
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Your Election Questions, Answered<\/h2>\n
\nAnswer:<\/strong> Yes, you\u2019re thinking of the old system for primaries. Our November general elections are decided by whomever gets a plurality of the vote \u2014 the winner takes it all, even if they get 40% (or less). And, reminder: We might have as many as five candidates in the general this year.
\nHave a question for our election team? Reply back to this email or send your questions to ask@thecity.nyc.<\/p>\nThe Campaign Kicker<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nIndependent expenditures are funds raised and spent by outside groups to support or oppose a candidate, separate from the candidate’s campaign.<\/li>\n
\nIEs can significantly influence local elections by funding advertisements, flyers, and other campaign materials, potentially swaying voter opinions.<\/li>\n
\nThe Campaign Finance Board is responsible for disclosing matching funds and overseeing campaign finance regulations in local elections.<\/li>\n
\nYou can look up which groups are paying for ads and flyers through guides and resources provided by organizations like THE CITY.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"