State of the People Town Hall: Make Your Voice Heard

"Tomorrow, on the hottest day of the year, at least hundreds of thousands of people will come out to cast ballots. I urge the administration to ensure that New Yorkers have adequate protections against extreme heat while doing their civic duty. Each polling place should function as a cooling center, and personnel there should be trained on what to do in the event of a heat-related health emergency. To prevent those emergencies, for voters and volunteers alike, water should be available on-site and all efforts should be made to keep lines short and vulnerable populations such as our seniors out of prolonged heat. A lack of protections such as air conditioning would make polling sites inaccessible, which would be unacceptable.

"The city has an obligation, together with community organizations, to ensure that civic engagement doesn’t mean risking one’s health. Voters can also take individual precautions to stay cool and hydrated. I want to encourage every eligible New Yorker to participate in our democracy tomorrow, safely."