New York, N.Y. (November 5, 2019)— Citizens Union, a leading good government group committed to fostering accountability, accessibility, and transparency in our government issues the following statement from Executive Director Betsy Gotbaum on tonight’s election results, which included reforms to the City Charter:
“Citizens Union is pleased that New York City voters have embraced reforms to make our city elections more democratic, and increase oversight of the police department.”
“Citizens Union has long-championed Ranked Choice Voting, a reform that will foster more positive, issue-focused campaigns, give voters more choice, ensure that elected officials are accountable to a broader spectrum of their constituents and avoid costly, time consuming and unnecessary runoff elections.”
“For well over a decade, we have advocated for greater police accountability and transparency. Because of the powerful position of police officers, it is essential to strengthen oversight of the New York City Police Department and ensure that instances of officer misconduct are answered with appropriate actions.”
“We are thankful to the Charter Revision Commission for putting these important issues before the voters, and to all the New Yorkers who made their voices heard in this fall’s elections. We call the City to start preparing now for the first Ranked Choice Voting election in 2021 by allocating the needed resources for implementation and a substantial voter education program.”