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Council Member Stevens raises concerns about lack of outreach in low voter turnout districts
3:28:46
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111 sec
Council Member Althea V. Stevens expresses concerns about the lack of outreach in low voter turnout districts, particularly in the Bronx. She questions the Campaign Finance Board (CFB) about their efforts to educate voters on ranked choice voting over the past four years.
- Stevens highlights the high number of rejected ballots in certain districts
- She criticizes the lack of consistent education efforts since the introduction of ranked choice voting
- CFB representatives attempt to explain their approach to voter education and timing of outreach efforts
Althea V. Stevens
3:28:46
I just have a bunch of follow-up questions from both of my colleagues just starting with the RCB because you know, obviously the districts that you're talking about was kind of low vertex turnout is a huge part of mine, and it's not just a West I mean South Bronx, it's the West Bronx because they always try to lump us all in, and I just have huge concerns because I've seen no real outreach done in my community, in my district, and so I would love to just understand and and get more specific around what exactly are the additional resources that's being sent out to these districts and what does that look like because if we have a high number of ballots in these places being rejected, how we use the last four years to really educate and do this work and not wait you know a few weeks before the election.
3:29:34
So I would love like more specifics.
3:29:52
What did that look like?
3:29:52
Because again I just want to be clear and not to cut folks off, but I'm in the district and I've seen nothing being done.
3:30:01
Only outreach and education that has been done has been done by my office and that is not fair.
3:30:08
So I I would really want specifics around like what are the additional resources happening currently that you were saying that we saw that these bouts are being rejected at higher numbers in these areas, what are the specific things that are being done, and then also how do we use the last four years to actually educate people on it because I'm telling you, I'm confused.
3:30:30
I would love dates and like the groups you're working with because I've seen zero being done except what I have done.
Amanda Melillo
3:29:38
Absolutely, and one thing I would also note is the big election for ranked choice voting was 2021 because we saw it the first time.
3:29:47
Mhmm.
3:29:48
We also continued that education in 2023 and are looking to