Vote Today for Queens DA: What You Need to Know

Today is Primary Election Day, when registered Democrats and Republications in NYC can vote to nominate candidates in their party for City Council, district attorney and judicial jobs—the third time in four months New Yorkers are heading to the polls.

There are two main (Democratic) primaries in Queens today: to fill the position of City Council member in District 45 (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Flatlands, Midwood, and Canarsie) from 2020 through the end of 2021, and, probably the most applicable to readers: the Democratic primary election in for the Queens District Attorney (DA). It is the first time in decades voting for this position, as longtime DA Richard Brown had been appointed since 1991 (he passed away last month). All voters registered in the Democratic Party in Queens are eligible to vote in this race.

Duties

District attorneys are the head prosecutors for their counties. They are responsible for setting legal and criminal justice policies and prosecuting criminal court cases.

Candidates

The Candidates for Queens District Attorney, along with their Top 3 issues (info collected from nyccfb.info unless otherwise indicated), are:

• Tiffany Caban: Decriminalize poverty, mental illness, & substance use disorder; Decline to prosecute charges biased by race or class; Centering community solutions to achieve public safety

• Rory Lancman [on the ballot but DROPPED OUT to support Melinda Katz]: Eliminate cash bail entirely; Protect victims of police misconduct; Believe women complaining of rape and sexual assault
• José L. Nieves: Investigate and prosecute violent crime; End school to prison pipeline; End discriminatory mass incarceration practices
• Gregory L. Lasak: Create a Conviction Integrity Unit to make sure any conviction can withstand scrutiny and ensure justice is being administered fairly; end cash bail on low-level, non-violent offenses; divert cases to programs where people can receive the support and treatment they need (from citizensunion.org)
• Mina Quinto Malik: Create a Conviction Review Unit; End system’s racial/economic disparities; Prosecute violent crimes

• Melinda Katz: Arrest, Bail and Sentencing Reform; End Marijuana Prosecution & Arrests; Reduce Gun Violence
• Betty Lugo: Reducing incarceration and focus on homicide and violent crimes, fraud and corruption matters; no cash bail; diversity in the office, make the office more representative of the diverse community it serves (from citizensunion.org)

For information on where candidates stand on specific issues, check out this article.

Where/How to Vote

To check if you are registered to vote, click here (you must be a registered Democrat to vote in this election). To view your closest polling site, search your home address here. For example, I can see from my address that there are voting booths at PS 166-Henry Gradstein at
33-09 35 Avenue, Astoria, NY open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can see what a sample ballot looks like here.

Get out there and vote!