NEWSLINE
VOL. XLII / NO. 44 / June 22, 2022 Serving 47,125 readers week ly
ON THE COVER:
Primary race to watch
Two Cornell students compete for Common Council Fourth Ward
Patrick Mehler
Tiffany Kumar
ornell University rising senior and current fourth ward alderperson Patrick Mehler will be running against fellow Cornellian Tiffany Kumar in the June 28 primary election for a one-year Forth Ward term. The candidate that wins will receive the Democratic nomination. Mehler joined the Ithaca Common Council last fall as an appointed temporary replacement for former alderperson Steve Smith after he resigned to move out of town.
Earlier this week, the two candidates participated in a forum moderated by First Vice Chair of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee Stacey Dumas. The candidates had three minutes to introduce themselves, and were then asked a series of ten questions ranging from their favorite local comfort food to more serious topics such as the reimagining public safety plan or affordable housing in Ithaca. In her speech, Kumar introduced herself as the proud daughter of an immigrant
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June 28 Primary: What you need to know
that stands with her peers in picket lines, marches for abortion rights and rallies for housing justice and gay rights. “When my mother came to this country with $400 sewn into the lining of her jacket, no one could have imagined that her daughter would be here today, fighting for change,” said Kumar. Kumar also asserted that she’s run more campaigns, written more legislation and registered more voters than Mehler, in addition to reminding voters that though Mehler is technically the incumbent, he wasn’t elected by the public to the position. In his speech, Mehler also introduced his family, explaining that both of his parents are “lifelong union members.” He also mentioned that he’s lived in the district for around three years, and built strong relationships with others in the community through his time as Alderperson and because of his commitment to conflict resolution. “I was very fortunate to have the trust of council, to say ‘we want a college student, we want somebody for the first time in a decade to come here and to be a part of this,’” said Mehler. Throughout the forum, Mehler continued to forefront relationships, trust and working with other Ithacans as his core beliefs. Contin u ed on Page 7
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New York, only registered party members can participate in their political party's primary election.
state voting leave. Employees that qualify can take up to 2 hours of paid time off at the beginning or end of their shift to vote, as long as they notify their employer no less than 2 working days before or no more than 10 days ahead of when they plan to vote.
Who Can I Vote For?
How Can I Vote?
When Can I Vote?
The races on the June ballot will include the race for New York State Governor (Democratic and Republican) and the race for NY State Lieutenant Governor (Democratic). 4th Ward Ithaca residents will also be able to vote for a City of Ithaca 4th Ward Alderperson (Democratic) opening. The 4th Ward currently consists of Collegetown, East Hill, and a portion of Cornell’s campus.
he first of two 2022 primary elections is just around the corner, scheduled for June 28. Primaries for state and Assembly offices will take place in less than two weeks, while primaries for congressional and state Senate openings were pushed back to Aug. 23 due to New York State redistricting issues.
The 2022 Tompkins County Primary Election will be held on June 28, 2022 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting will take place from June 18 through June 26, and hours vary by day. The Tompkins County Board of Elections posted a comprehensive list of early voting times.
Who’s Eligible to Vote?
All registered Democratic or Republican voters in Tompkins County are eligible to vote in these elections. In the state of
What if I Don’t Have Enough Time Off From Work to Vote? According to New York State Election Law, residents without four consecutive hours to vote either between the time either before or after their shift are eligible for
Voters can still apply for an in-person absentee ballot until Jun. 27 by visiting the Tompkins County Board of Elections office or at their polling place on June 28.
Where Can I Vote?
To find your polling place go to voterlookup.elections.ny.gov and fill out your voter information. Many residents also received a postcard from the Board of Elections last month with their appropriate polling place listed.
What’s At Stake?
The winning candidates from each party will move on to the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 elections.
Special Olympian Anne Norby getting a hug from her mother Cynthia after getting the gold in the 200IM
NEWSLINE ....................................3 SPORTS ..........................................7 ITHACA IS...SPECIAL ..................8
The Special Olympics comes to town this weekend.
BUSINESS TIMES ..................10-11 STAGE ..........................................13 MOVIES .......................................14 ART ..............................................15 TIMES TABLE .............................16 CLASSIFIEDS ..............................18
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