Unlike the BOE’s report published on Election Night, which included more transparency, when it came to the second preliminary report on the latest RCV tabulation, the BOE report did not include the date on which the latest results were based, though the agency had previously said the second RCV report would be published on July 6. Unhelpfully, the only date mentioned on the report, when it was finally published, was primary election date itself, June 22.

Another unhelpful obstacle was the fact that the latest RCV tabulation did not indicate which votes were included in the report though, again, the agency had explained on its website, ahead of time, that the second report would include all votes (early, election-day and absentees). Interpreting the report, therefore, required visiting several different sections of the site in order to obtain the complete picture.

To add to the confusion, the revised (July 6 we assume) report included an RCV tabulation for Rounds 1 to 8, whereas the initial preliminary RCV tabulation was for Rounds 1 to 9. Requests for clarification from the BOE went unanswered.

 

Again, unlike on Election Night, the latest report did not include any reference to the percentage of scanners reported. On election night, as reported, only 86.57 percent of scanners had been reported. This was updated to 96.62 percent the following day. We asked the BOE why it was that only 96.62 percent of scanners had been reported the day after the election, querying if there was any particular reason why 100 percent of scanners would not have reported by then, given all polling sites had the same deadline and given that the process is, we assume, electronic. Again, we did not receive an answer from the BOE.

 

As reported, the BOE previously advised the following in terms of the timing of the primary election results and count process:

 

 

How Will Votes Be Counted?

• All first-choice votes are counted. If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, that candidate wins.
• If no candidate earns more than 50% of first-choice votes, then counting will continue in rounds.
• At the end of each round, the last-place candidate is eliminated and voters who chose that candidate now have their vote counted for their next choice.
• Your vote is counted for your second choice only if your first choice is eliminated. If both your first and second choices are eliminated, your vote is counted for your next choice, and so on.
• This process continues until there are two candidates left. The candidate with the most votes wins.

 

.@KGforNYC concedes and says she called @ericadamsfornyc this morning to congratulate him. “We did not break that glass ceiling” pic.twitter.com/4Xl1eWyaBf

— Courtney Gross (@courtneycgross) July 7, 2021

 

As reported, Norwood News had also raised other questions with the BOE regarding the sequence of the vote count process, as opposed to the vote count methodology itself. Some New Yorkers queried on social media why the absentee ballots, for example, were not included in the first run-off (RCV tabulation) since all votes, including all first-choice votes, should be weighted equally, whether they are in-person, early votes or absentee votes. Again, we never received a response to our questions.

In the meantime, we understand, that the purpose of releasing the initial report on RCV tabulation is to provide some level of transparency to voters on the general direction of voting during the earlier stages of the count in order to instill confidence in the electoral process.

 

This, in theory, is commendable. However, failing to provide clarity on the points listed above, as well as failure to disclose how the subsequent RCV tabulation count was conducted only serves to negate the BOE’s good intentions, and only leads to confusion and more questions.

Thank you to our hometown heroes at the NYC Board of Elections. We honor them all! With a special remembrance of those we lost. pic.twitter.com/Fud4bsWmpr

— NYC Board of Elections (@BOENYC) July 7, 2021

 

Anyone who works with data knows that the golden rule is to always label data correctly in order to contextualize it for the end user. This serves to eliminate guesswork and misinterpretation. The BOE seemed to go out of its way to do the exact opposite of this during this election season.

 

On July 7, the agency paid tribute to colleagues lost over the course of the last year in a touching gesture of solidarity, highlighting also the fact that the BOE had never closed its doors throughout the election season. Like with any large organization, there are undoubtedly many, many diligent and hardworking people employed by the agency who are committed to doing their very best and to ensuring a robust and fair election for all.

 

And while, of course, their work is deeply appreciated, it does not negate the fact that there also appears to be a problem with how the agency communicates basic information about votes, information that is vital for the public to understand especially when elections are being decided within a margin of 1 percent.

Eric Adams, Kathryn Garcia & Maya Wiley were too busy to show up at annual #July4th parade in Travis #StatenIsland, the longest running #July4 parade in the nation. I'm there every year w/ the #GuardianAngels but where were the Democratic Candidates? Inquiring minds want to know. pic.twitter.com/yKa9KS5lym

— Curtis Sliwa for NYC Mayor (@CurtisSliwa) July 4, 2021

 

Indeed, the situation was so bad that some media outlets resorted to working off data they were receiving from the candidates themselves, a system which can only be classified as a conflict of interest by any standards.

 

For example, the initial RCV tabulation results republished on June 30 have since been replaced on the BOE’s website with the latest [July 6 we assume] RCV results. At least, that is what we understand to be the case though, once again, as no date accompanies this data, it is therefore unclear if this is actually the case or not.

 

In addition, since the initial RCV tabulations have now been replaced, it also means that no side by side comparisons can be made across the various rounds, which would be both helpful and informative to voters.

 

Attached are screenshots of what we understand are the latest [July 6] results after each RCV tabulation round in the mayoral primary race.

THREAD: This morning I stood once again in front of the Lucerne Hotel where men who were homeless were housed until last week. There I announced the end to my campaign for Mayor. 1/10 pic.twitter.com/5ANLdHoOQO

— Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) July 7, 2021

 

As reported, the BOE released an important video notice recently in which it asks New Yorkers to keep an eye out for a potential notice from the agency which explains how they can correct any invalid absentee ballots, where applicable. According to the BOE, it is this process of checking the validity of the absentee ballots which is currently underway. Not until this is completed will the BOE be able to ratify the final election results.

 

Notwithstanding this fact, the outcome of the latest count means that Adams has been declared the winner of the Democratic mayoral primary, as reported, and will face Republican, Curtis Sliwa, in the general election in November. Sliwa was seen campaigning in the Bronx earlier this week.

 

He was followed around by Hank Newsome, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter for Greater NY, who, using a loudspeaker, called out Sliwa’s policies, as he walked the streets, stopping occasionally to speak with prospective voters.

Meanwhile, a small group of protestors gathered in front of the BOE’s headquarters at 32 Broadway in Manhattan on Tuesday, July 6, for a “Voter’s Voice Against Fraud” rally. It was not clear which, if any, organized group had arranged the rally as calls to the contact number listed on the poster went to voicemail. The group called for three actions: a redo of the June primary elections later in September, a federal investigation to stop alleged corruption at the New York City Board of Elections (BOE), and the imprisonment of those responsible for any alleged fraud.

 

The flyer was shared on Facebook by Dion Powell of The New York Free Thinking Democrats, saying, “Carmen Quinones Carmen Quinones at it again!!! Standing up for what’s right. “We Don’t a Recount! We want a New Election!” So many community leaders here so please tag anyone I forget.. Bronx BP candidate Sammy Ravelo Josue Perez Altagracia Hiraldo Aaron Foldenauer Pierre Sylne Charles Smith Georges.”

The rally was apparently organized following the recent debacle whereby the BOE was forced to rescind and republish the initial results of the ranked choice vote tabulation in the Democratic mayoral race which the agency had published on Tuesday, June 29, due to the erroneous inclusion of about 135,000 test votes in the initial tally.

 

The error led many on social media to question the validity of both the initial (June 29) and the subsequent (June 30) RCV count, particularly as it appeared to substantially reduce the lead held by Adams over fellow candidates, Garcia and Wiley. Further protests were apparently planned for Wednesday, July 7.

 

As reported, Norwood News had raised some questions with the BOE regarding the sequence of the vote count process, as opposed to the vote count methodology. As mentioned, some New Yorkers queried on social media why the absentee ballots, for example, were not included before the run-off (RCV tabulation) process began, since all votes, including all first-choice votes, should be weighted equally whether they are in-person, early votes or absentee votes.

 

During the second RCV tabulation, were the additional absentee ballots added to the existing results for each round or was the tabulation started from scratch, including the absentee ballots? If the former approach was taken, what impact did that sequence of events have on the elimination of candidates, if any? Perhaps none, but transparency was what was needed.

 

The fact that some candidates were referenced as “eliminated” when not all absentee ballots had yet been counted also caused more confusion for voters. Again, we did not receive an immediate response from the BOE.

 

 

Meanwhile, as also reported, reacting to his win, Adams wrote on social media, “I grew up poor in Brooklyn and Queens. I wore a bulletproof vest to keep my neighbors safe. I served my community as a State Senator & Brooklyn Borough President. And I’m honored to be the Democratic nominee to be the Mayor of the city I’ve always called home. Thank you New York!”

 

Following an outdoor press conference by the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument in Central Park, on Wednesday, July 7, Garcia formally conceded what she called a hard-fought, razor-thin race. Among other remarks, she said, “Eric Adams will be the Democratic nominee and I look forward to supporting him in the general. To everyone who believed in this campaign: Thank you.”

 

Also on Wednesday, Wiley held a separate press briefing, thanking her supporters and family and formally conceding the race as well. “This morning, I stood, once again, in front of the Lucerne Hotel, where men who were homeless were housed until last week,” she said, among other remarks. “There, I announced the end to my campaign for mayor… I hold on to the hopes, fears and resilience of all the New Yorkers I had the privilege to meet on this journey.”

In the meantime, a group called repmyblock.nyc which comprises various citywide candidates and party officials published a recent statement [the exact date is unknown] on their website, calling on the BOE to release the ballot “raw data” for all primary races. The statement was signed by the following groups.

Primary 2021 Candidates 

 

According to its website, repmyblock.nyc was established as an effort to collect, organize and make accessible the full membership of the county committees in New York State. The group says that New York State’s county committees form the basis of local government and are made up of publicly elected representatives. They say county committee membership information has traditionally been hard to access.

 

A review of the website for the Bronx Democratic Party, https://www.bronxdems.org/, shows that it lists the Bronx District Leaders and State Committee Members.

 

Repmyblock informed Norwood News on July 18 that it had received no response from the BOE to its request for ballot raw data.

 

Following the most recent tally of the Democratic mayoral primary race on Tuesday, July 13, Gothamist reported that Adams’ lead has since been reduced to a half a percent. Meanwhile, the BOE is currently reviewing any invalid absentee ballots which may be “cured” before validating the final outcome of the elections. It is expected that this process will be concluded some time during the week commencing Monday, July 19.