The Unheard Third | Vote 2013
2013 marks a critical election year for New York City, as voters will choose a new mayor and a slate of new public officials. CSS is committed to ensuring that the voices of low-income New Yorkers—who make up one-third of the city’s electorate—are a part of the political debate. Explore our voter guide to learn where the candidates stand on issues of chief concern to these constituents.
About the Voter Guide
CSS has developed an online tool that allows New Yorkers to see where the mayoral candidates stand on issues affecting low-income residents—and the city as a whole. The voter guide reflects candidate reponses to a questionnaire developed by CSS. The candidates' answers are presented in full. The questions are based on the findings of our 2012 annual survey of low-income New Yorkers, The Unheard Third. The issues that emerged as the most important to the respondents in our survey were as follows:
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Helping workers and growing the economy
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Public safety
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Education
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Affordable housing
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Health care
We sent the questionnaire to the following candidates: Sal Albanese, Tom Allon, Adolfo Carrion Jr., John Catsimatidis, Bill de Blasio, Joseph Lhota, John Liu, George McDonald, Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, and Anthony Weiner. We have received responses from Albanese, Carrion, de Blasio, Liu, Thompson, and Quinn.
Election 2013 Initiatives
During the 2013 election season, CSS has sponsored public candidate forums, issued an online voter guide detailing the positions of the candidates, and widely disseminated the findings of The Unheard Third, our annual survey of low-income New Yorkers. These efforts are intended to raise the visibility of issues of concern to our constituents, and to put the candidates on record with their plans to help low-income New Yorkers and the working poor.
The Unheard Third Survey
One-third of New York City's voting-age citizens live in low-income households. For more than a decade, The Unheard Third has surveyed the opinions and concerns of the city's low-income residents. The survey also polls moderate- and higher-income New Yorkers to see where their opinions and concerns converge and diverge with those of low-income New Yorkers. Poll results will be broadly disseminated, and emphasis will be placed on issues related to the race for mayor.
Mayoral Forum on Low-income New Yorkers
February 2013 – This forum will focus exclusively on issues affecting New York City’s low-wage workers and low-income residents and how the next mayor plans to address concerns that are most pressing to them. Co-sponsors include: 32BJ SEIU, Center for Popular Democracy, UnitedNY, and City Limits.
Mayoral Forum on Public Housing
April 2013 – This forum will highlight issues of importance to NYC Housing Authority residents and spur a candid discussion about the future of the Authority. In recent months, there has been extensive media coverage on how NYCHA has been managed. This discussion will provide the candidates with the opportunity to talk about their vision for NYCHA. Co-sponsor: Teamsters Local 237.