Q&A
CUNY's voter registration and turnout data collection practices
0:39:40
·
3 min
Council Member Eric Dinowitz inquires about CUNY's data collection practices for voter registration and turnout. CUNY representatives explain their methods and the duration of their data collection efforts.
- CUNY has been collecting university-wide voter data since 2012
- They use a 'Code D' system with the NYC Board of Elections to track voter registration forms
- CUNY obtains voter data files from the NY State Board of Elections after each general election and matches it with student enrollment records
- This process allows CUNY to determine voter registration rates and election day participation for the university as a whole
Eric Dinowitz
0:39:40
Yeah.
0:39:40
And I wanna go to the data, and it's sort of in line with the metrics and accountability is the wrong I guess accountability would be the word.
0:39:50
One is is the data that you collect public.
0:39:54
Is it posted on your website?
0:39:56
Again, number of registrants, number of people who have voted in in certain elections.
0:40:03
And secondly, for how long have you been collecting this data?
0:40:09
Meaning, did you did you look at it now for this hearing to to look back?
0:40:14
Or have you continually is this something you've been looking at since, I guess, 2014 was one of the midterm elections that you referenced.
Denise Maybank
0:40:21
2012, I think, is when we have date how this the length of time we've been collecting.
0:40:28
So Stacy, you wanna okay.
0:40:31
A little bit longer than that.
0:40:32
Stacy Emanuel can tell can tell you about that.
Eric Dinowitz
0:40:37
We'll sign you up.
0:40:39
It's very good as well.
0:40:42
Please raise your right hand.
0:40:44
Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in your testimony before this committee, and to respond honestly to counsel members' questions?
Staci Emanuel
0:40:51
I do.
Eric Dinowitz
0:40:52
Thank you.
0:40:52
And please state your name for the record.
Staci Emanuel
0:40:53
Sure.
0:40:54
Stacy Emanuel.
0:40:55
I'm the deputy director.
0:40:56
Our new offices of city relations, but Priya also, I serve as the Priya voter registration coordinator for the university.
0:41:04
And so we have been keeping 2 sets of tracking of data, one through our code d, which Meghan from nightberg is familiar with.
0:41:16
We have an arrangement with the New York City Board of Elections in which we can order voter registration forms that has a code, a little letter to SSD in order for us to track these forms that are being submitted to the New York City Board of Elections.
0:41:33
So we have been keeping track of those that are submitted The only caveat is that when they reported in the annual report, it's only by borough, so it's not by college, so it's not as useful.
0:41:46
But since 2012, we've been collecting university wide data through the New York State Board of Elections.
0:41:55
We get the voter data file after each general election, and then we match it with the student enrollment based on those that are eligible to vote.
0:42:05
And then that information is disseminated to the voter registration coordinators to help them with their efforts on their individual campuses.
0:42:13
So it's been collected a lot longer and not, you know, just for this hearing, the data.
Eric Dinowitz
0:42:18
Thank you.
0:42:18
Can you just clarify, you said you collect the voter well, when you reference the general election, you said you collect the voter registration data or the voter turnout data?
Denise Maybank
0:42:27
Both.
Staci Emanuel
0:42:28
So we request a voter data file from the New York State Board of Elections.
0:42:33
Each year, but we do it after the general election has happened.
0:42:37
And then our institutional research office, Orita, which our May vice chancellor, May Banks mentioned, they then take that voter data file and they match it with our student enrollment records.
0:42:51
And that's how we get the voter registration rate for the university as a whole, and that's how we get the turnout, the participation at on election day.
Eric Dinowitz
0:43:01
Does that include participation in the primary elections?
Staci Emanuel
0:43:04
No.
0:43:05
We only do the general elections.