What if NYC's mayoral election was this year?

Plus, watch the New Jersey U.S. Senate Primary debate. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [What if NYC’s mayoral election was this year? Experts say more people would vote.]( While New York City voters must wait until next year for another mayoral election, some Albany lawmakers want to reset the date of future municipal elections to boost the city’s anemic voter turnout. State Sen. James Skoufis, a Democratic representing parts of Orange County, is introducing a constitutional amendment this week that would shift all city elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered ones, aligning them with state and federal elections that routinely see dramatically higher voter turnout. “The constitutional amendment completes the job that we started last year,” Skoufis said, referring to legislation he cosponsored that moved county and town elections from odd- to even-year cycles. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed it into law last year. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week Watch the New Jersey U.S. Senate Primary debate We’re hosting a live debate for New Jersey’s U.S. Senate seat featuring Democratic candidates Andy Kim, Patricia Campos-Medina and Larry Hamm. Moderated by WNYC’s very own Michael Hill, questions will offer voters an opportunity to evaluate candidate positions on critical issues facing the state, including affordability, racial justice, immigration, climate change, and more. It’s all happening at the [South Orange Performing Arts Center]( on Monday, May 13 at 6 p.m. in partnership with the [ACLU of New Jersey]( [the League of Women Voters of New Jersey]( and [Salvation and Social Justice.]( Register[here.]( What else is happening around New York City New York City will begin distributing fliers to discourage migrant families from allowing their children to sell candy on the streets and subway. [Read more.]( People of color who work for the New York City government make 16 cents less on average for every $1 their white counterparts make, and the gap is even wider for women of color. [Read more.]( One year after homeless New Yorker Jordan Neely was choked to death on the subway by a fellow rider, homeless advocates are pushing to reinvigorate a long-dormant bill that could make targeting homeless people a hate crime. [Read more.]( Local leaders are trying to restore a ferry line between Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, which has been shuttered for decades and which city lawmakers say could dramatically cut commute times. [Read more.]( City Council members questioned the Department of Correction’s "convoluted" process for investigating sexual assault claims by detainees at an oversight hearing last week. [Read more.]( Mayor Eric Adams proposed a nearly $112 billion spending plan that reverses unpopular cuts but leaves libraries with a multimillion-dollar hole. [Read more.]( NYC Council members introduced a bill that would tighten building safety measures in response to a partial building collapse in the Bronx last year. [Read more.]( What’s going on around New York State Buried in the new state budget is one sentence with major implications for the future of MTA fare enforcement: a ban on the use of facial recognition. [Read more.]( George Santos, the former Republican Congress member expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives by his colleagues last year, suspended his campaign for another congressional seat on Long Island. [Read more.]( What's new in New Jersey An unapologetically progressive New Jersey community organizer is running against Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. in a Congressional district that’s flipped parties three times since 2018. [Read more.]( An unusually competitive Democratic primary race for Congress is taking place in Hudson County, New Jersey as incumbent Rep. Rob Menendez tries to distinguish himself from his embattled father, Sen. Bob Menendez. [Read more.]( U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. ,who represented New Jersey’s only majority-Black Congressional District, died following a heart attack. He was 65. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [Should Biden Agree To Debate Trump?]( How would a moderator handle a potential debate matchup between President Biden and former President Trump in order to make the most of the event for voters? [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.