It's Election Day, which means it's time for people to go to the polls. City offices and public schools are closed, and alternate side of the street parking is suspended, as are garbage and recycling pick-up. It's an optional state holiday; federal offices are open and there is mail delivery.
While there aren't many big races, there are a few notable ones, namely the Staten Island District Attorney's race which pits incumbent Daniel Donovan (R) against Michael Ryan (D). The twist has been that Republican Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro endorsed Ryan after Molinaro's unhappiness that Donovan, a longtime friend of Molinaro's and a former deputy BEEP under him, recused himself from a case involving Molinaro's grandson. Molinaro has been very upset, even taking out an ad slamming Donovan. Mayor Bloomberg endorsed Donovan and his decision to recuse himself from the case, but empathized with Molinaro's sadness over his grandson's sentence.
There are two City Council elections, one for Brooklyn's Mathieu Eugene and one for Staten Island's Vincent Ignizio, both of whom were elected mid-year. Eugene has actually been elected to the Council twice in the past year - there were questions about his residency in the district he was elected to.
You can find your polling site here. Gotham Gazette has its ever-handy Guide For The Last MInute Voter that gives the scoop on the various elections (there are also DA races in the Bronx and Queens, but those incumbents are running unopposed).
Photograph by SilvaAzniv on Flickr
