Q&A
Importance of including primary election data in CUNY's analysis
0:43:08
·
90 sec
Council Member Eric Dinowitz emphasizes the importance of including primary election data in CUNY's voter engagement analysis, particularly in the context of New York City politics.
- CUNY currently only collects data for general elections
- Dinowitz argues that primary elections are crucial for civic engagement in New York City, as they often determine who the representative will be in many districts
- He suggests that including primary election data would be one of the most critical ways to improve CUNY's metrics and accountability in civic engagement efforts
Eric Dinowitz
0:43:08
What's the thinking behind just doing general elections?
Staci Emanuel
0:43:12
Because I don't think there was anything other than you know, it's it's a lot of time involved, and it's a huge data file.
0:43:22
And so for our research office, they're able to handle just doing it for the general election and it's the final election before we know who's voted into whatever particular office at that time.
Eric Dinowitz
0:43:33
Alright.
0:43:33
I would posit that civic engagement, I think, as particularly in New York City, I think necessitates the engagement of students in a primary election where in many districts, it is the primary election that determines who the representative will be.
Staci Emanuel
0:43:51
Understood.
0:43:51
Understood.
0:43:52
Something for us to look at moving forward, but
Eric Dinowitz
0:43:55
Yeah.
0:43:56
I I would suggest saying.
0:43:57
You know, one of the as we talk about metrics and accountability and trying to better the process Mhmm.
Khin Mai Aung
0:44:04
I would
Eric Dinowitz
0:44:04
think that would be one of the most critical ways.
0:44:07
And particularly, as was mentioned, municipal elections, don't always have the highest turnouts to begin with are even lower in the in the primary election, which again really determined, really engaged people in New York City.
0:44:22
And that's, in many cases, where the elected officials are doing the door knocking where they're doing the phone calls.
0:44:28
That's really where, you know, it ramps up.
0:44:32
So you're collecting the the data for the general election, registration, and turn up for for the general election.