The NY State Board of Elections site has some great charts that show full breakdowns of yesterday’s election results. You can view them all through an easy interface with drop down menus. Following are a few Columbia County specific results. To view all the state results, visit nyenr.elections.state.ny.us by clicking here.
US SENATE:
19th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
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You probably don’t need a reminder that today is election day, but here are some helpful tips for New York voters.
• Polls are open 6 AM–9 PM. If you’re in line by 9 PM, you’re allowed to vote.
• If you’ve voted in New York before, you don’t need to provide ID to vote in person.
• If you’re voting for the first time in New York, submitted your registration by mail, and didn’t provide a copy of your New York driver’s license, state ID card, or a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or government document that shows your name and address when you registered, you may need to show one of these documents when you vote in person on Election Day.
• To find your polling location, just google “where do I vote”.
I think it’s safe to assume you have heard who is running for President. Here are the candidates running for New York offices.
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In response to the recent “creepy clown” hoax that is currently scaring the country, Chatham Central School District has decided to not allow clown costumes at school, school events or on school buses this Halloween. This ban applies to students, employees and visitors to upcoming school events. Although there is little evidence that anyone dressed as a creepy clown has broken any laws, Superintendent Cheryl Nuciforo, said that the school district had received reports of clown sightings. In a letter to parents, Nuciforo wrote that the district had spoken with law enforcement and were assured that there was no credible threat.
Nuciforo informed parents that the district’s safety procedures had been reviewed, and that police would be paying close attention to the campuses. “I want to assure you that the safety of our students is of the utmost importance to us here in Chatham and that makes school one of the safest environments for our children,” Nuciforo wrote. “All outside doors are locked throughout the day, our staff is on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary and we work very closely with our school resource deputy and other local law enforcement agencies to make sure our students stay safe and secure.”
As of now, there is no ban on clown costumes in the New Lebanon Central School District, including the Trunk or Treat event at Walter B. Howard Elementary School on October 31. The event, which takes place from 5-6 p.m., invites adults to decorate their cars and fill the trunks with treats. Kids in costume can then go from car to car, trick or treating. The district asks parents and students to avoid scary or gory decorations and costumes.
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Airbnb, the online service that enables people to list or rent short-term lodging in residential properties, filed a lawsuit on Friday afternoon in Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit is the companies’ response to a new law that allows the state to impose steep fines on Airbnb hosts who break local housing regulations. The Airbnb suit claims this law would cause it “irreparable harm”, and violates the company’s constitutional rights to free speech and due process, as well as the protection it is afforded under the Communications Decency Act, which is a federal law that says websites cannot be held accountable for content published by their users.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
So, what exactly is the issue with Airbnb that prompted this new law? Apparently, the concern is that Airbnb is making it easier to illegally rent out apartments for short periods to travelers, which decreases the amount of housing for full-time residents, and drives housing costs up. It has been illegal in New York to rent out an apartment for fewer than 30 days. However, some people have ignored that law, and have been using Airbnb to rent apartments for shorter periods of time. The new law gives authorities the power to fine hosts up to $7,500 if they are caught listing a property on Airbnb.
For now, it sounds like we will have to wait and see what impact the new law, and Airbnb’s lawsuit have on the housing and online rental market.
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Today at 1pm, there will be a live debate between the two candidates running for New York’s 19th Congressional district seat. The candidates are Republican John Faso and Democrat Zephyr Teachout. The race to replace retiring GOP Congressman Chris Gibson is one of the most closely-watched in the state and country.
The debate by WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, at The Linda in Albany, will be hosted by WAMC’s President and CEO Dr. Alan Chartock — anchor of WAMC’s Congressional Corner segment — co-moderated by WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne, and Times Union state editor Casey Seiler. The debate, which will be broadcast live over WAMC’s 29 radio frequencies can also be heard online at wamc.org
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