Preparations for NYC Election Day heat wave blasted as inadequate by Cuomo
NEW YORK — Hundreds of polling sites in the city that do not have air conditioning systems will be equipped with electric fans on Tuesday, when temperatures are projected to soar into the 100s as New Yorkers head out to vote in the local 2025 primary elections.
But the ramped-up heat precautions were criticized as inadequate by mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo's campaign, which earlier this week demanded that Mayor Adams ensures the Board of Elections installs portable air conditioning units at all sites that do not have centralized A/C.
The Cuomo campaign also demanded the mayor's office makes sure polling sites have water bottles on hand to distribute to voters waiting on line.
'This isn't sufficient,' Cuomo campaign spokesman Jason Elan said Thursday in response to the BOE's new heat precaution protocol. 'We are specifically asking for water to be passed out and A/C systems to be installed to ensure that people who are voting can do so in a cool and comfortable environment.'
Elan's rebuke came after Vinny Ignizio, the deputy executive of the city Board of Elections, said his agency estimates a bit less than half of the 1,213 polling stations operating across the city Tuesday will not have air conditioning and will need to be fitted with fans. He cautioned that the board's review of sites is still ongoing and that he didn't have an exact number on how many sites don't have A/C.
In a statement, the board also said staffers will ensure 'a steady supply of water is available' at all polling stations and work closely with emergency management agencies and utility providers to make sure sites aren't at risk of losing electricity amid the heat.
Ignizio said the heat wave set to wash over the city during Tuesday's election is mostly a problem for poll workers.
'While voters generally spend only a few minutes at a polling place, our poll workers serve on the front lines for up to 17 hours,' he said. 'This is fundamentally a facilities and workforce challenge, and we are treating it with the urgency it deserves.'
Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak shot back at Cuomo's criticisms, arguing his demands are misdirected.
'As Andrew Cuomo should know, elections are managed by the New York City Board of Elections – an independent body, separate from the Adams administration,' she said.
'Mayor Adams believes that all New Yorkers should exercise their democratic right to vote, and we are coordinating closely with the New York City Board of Elections in advance of Tuesday's forecasted heat to monitor for impacts.'
Cuomo is polling as the favorite to win the Democratic mayoral primary, the top item on Tuesday's ballot.
A significant segment of Cuomo's political base is older, and the scorching temperatures could pose an issue in terms of those voters making it out to the polls Tuesday. Cuomo's main opponent in the mayoral race, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, has been closing in on him in some recent polls.
Adams isn't running against Cuomo in Tuesday's primary, having dropped out of it to seek reelection as an independent in November's general election instead amid continued political fallout from his federal corruption indictment.
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