New Yorkers Vote in Bellwether Election to Replace George Santos

Polls opened at 6 a.m. for the special election in New York to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) Follow here for live updates.

Voters Brave Winter Storm

BELLEROSE, N.Y.—A powerful winter storm pummeled much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic Tuesday with heavy snowfall and blizzard-like conditions.

The classic nor’easter also brought strong winds and the potential for flooding up and down the coast on a crucial election day for voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

Even on a good day, getting voters to the polls can be a challenge in a special election. And a storm certainly doesn’t help matters.

But for Lucia Vivianni, 87, this election was one she simply couldn’t miss.

“I would never miss it because I really want the person I voted for to win,” Ms. Vivianni told The Epoch Times.

The Bellerose, Queens, resident said she cast her ballot for Republican Mazi Pilip, whom she said would “bring good changes.”

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“I vote more party because the other person I didn’t know too much about,” she said. “He’s from Nassau County. My brother lives there and I talked with him.”

The Democratic candidate in the race is Tom Suozzi, who held the congressional seat for three terms before being toppled by Republican Rep. George Santos in 2022.

Almost immediately after that election, Mr. Santos became the subject of controversy over his embellished resume. He was expelled from Congress in December amid additional allegations that he defrauded his supporters.

Marianne Schmidt, 73, said she braved the weather to vote for Mr. Suozzi because she felt Ms. Pilip was “too much like” Mr. Santos.

“It’s not a great day, but I wanted to do this,” she told The Epoch Times. “I should’ve done pre-voting.”

Ms. Schmidt said she was “definitely in favor” of Mr. Suozzi “after everything they went through with the last person.” Still, she said she could have done without all the phone calls, TV ads, and mailers from his campaign.

“I understand he had to do that, but enough.”  

Meanwhile, Fazle Jamali, 81, said he chose Mr. Suozzi because “he says he’s with the people—the middle-class people. He says everything is equal here. Everybody has a right. The lady? I never saw her or know anything about her.”

—Samantha Flom

Low Turnout at Polling Location

Robbins Lane Elementary School was the only normal voting site open of those listed on the Syosset Schools website. Election workers would not let The Epoch Times staff stay on site despite having a letter from the Nassau County Board of Elections on our phones.

Turnout at the school was very low with more election workers than voters on site. Both H.B. Thompson Middle School and Syosset High School were closed due to the harsh weather.

No cars were in the lots of the latter two schools and they were scenes of bleakness and desolation.

—Michael Washburn

Candidates Offer Rides to Polls Amid Storm

As a snowstorm bore down on New York on Tuesday, the two candidates vying for ousted Republican Rep. George Santos’s congressional seat mobilized to ensure voters could get to the polls for the special election.

Mr. Suozzi is looking to flip New York’s 3rd Congressional District back into the Democrats’ column amid the scandal surrounding Mr. Santos, who has been federally charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, credit card fraud, and more.

To do so, the candidate will have to defeat Republican Mazi Pilip, who has homed in on immigration as a key issue for her campaign as the city struggles to cope with a massive influx of illegal immigrants from the U.S.–Mexico border.

Amid the storm, which is expected to dump up to half a foot of snow on the city, Ms. Pilip’s campaign was also offering rides to the polls early on Tuesday.

Polls will remain open until 9 p.m.

—Samantha Flom

Major Snowstorm Endangers Turnout

NEW YORK—Voters of Nassau County and some parts of Queens will decide the fates on Feb. 13 of Congressional candidates Republican Mazi Pilip and Democrat Tom Suozzi as well as set the political tone nationwide for November’s general election.

However, a major winter storm that includes snow and rain is expected to seriously curtail voter turnout.

The National Weather Service predicts up to 10 inches of snow that may block streets in New York and Long Island.

Ms. Pilip, however, is undeterred. She urged her supporters last night at the North Valley Stream GOP Club in Franklin Square, New York, to get to the finish line.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s going to rain or snow, we can safely go out,” she said. “We’re going to encourage people safely to go to vote because we’re talking about saving our country.”

Electing Ms. Pilip or Mr. Suozzi to represent Congressional District 3 (CD-3) will further define the balance of power in Congress for the next nine months and help both political parties identify campaign strategies for the presidential elections in November.

Currently, there are 212 Democrat members of Congress, 219 Republicans, and four vacant seats.

“Let’s look to the results of this race,” Mr. Suozzi said at a Feb. 11 press conference in his Plainview campaign headquarters.

“Does my message of working together and finding common ground carry the day or does her message  ’my way or the highway extremism’ same as Mike Johnson and Donald Trump’s?”

Early Votes

More than 57,000 voters cast ballots in Nassau County during the early voting period, according to the Nassau County Board of Elections. Of the total, 42 percent were Democrats, 34 percent were Republicans, and 20 percent were unaffiliated with a major party.

The special election came about after it was discovered that disgraced former Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) embellished his resume, lied about his religious affiliation, allegedly violated federal law and reportedly participated in identity theft and improper campaign reports.

Although he was elected fair and square, Congress removed Mr. Santos on Dec. 1, 2023, and on Dec. 5, 2023, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul scheduled a special election for Feb. 13.

The election is not only special but also unusual because it’s taking place in the middle of winter, according to Phil Orenstein, president of the Queens Village Republican Club. He said he has never promoted an election in the snow in the 20 years he’s been campaigning,

“Special elections happen whenever they happen but not often during the winter months,” Mr. Orenstein told The Epoch Times. “The primaries are in June, and the general election is in November, and the weather’s pretty good. Once it was raining but the turnout was good even in the rain.”

Areas of Queens Village that are in District 3 include Little Neck, New Hyde Park, and Douglaston.

A Newsday/Siena College poll found that 49 percent think Ms. Pilip will do a better job “addressing the migrant influx” compared to Mr. Suozzi’s 40 percent. But when asked who would do better at “protecting our democracy,” 49 percent named Mr. Suozzi compared to 40 percent who named Ms. Pilip. The poll was conducted between Feb. 3 and Feb. 6

“The country is just falling apart under Biden, so people are very motivated to vote for Mazi,” Mr. Orenstein added.

“Some of the voters I’ve spoken to plan to put their snow shoes on and get out there.”

Currently, the weather forecast includes rain and snow, which is likely to impede the momentum of both candidates.

Last night, the National Weather Service upgraded its forecast to a winter storm warning.

Despite the snow, Democrats plan to be in the streets getting their votes out for Mr. Suozzi, according to Nassau County Democrat Chairman Jay Jacobs.

“Our vote tends to come in heavier in the afternoon, and it looks like the weather will clear by then, so that’s good for us,” Mr. Jacobs told The Epoch Times.

“The Republican vote comes in heavy in the morning, which isn’t good for them. Another thing that’s not good for them is that a lot of their workers are supposed to be knocking on doors but should be sitting in plow and sanding trucks.”

New York City public schools are closed in all five boroughs, including Queens.

Some public schools in Nassau County are also closed.

“As we do for every weather event, our great men and women of our Department of Public Works will be out early this morning,” Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman told The Epoch Times.

“They will be doing what they have to do. The roads will be clear and you’ll be able to exercise your right to vote here in Nassau County.”

The town of Oyster Bay has put out salt and sand, according to Republican Supervisor Joseph Saladino.

“It’s about making sure the streets are safe and that we plow every road so that no matter what community you’re from and no matter who you’re voting for, you can get to the polls safely,” Mr. Saladino told The Epoch Times.

Although inclement weather doesn’t help either party in an election, former Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.) believes Republican candidates locked in a tight race outperform Democrats when there’s bad weather.

“We have 2,000 committeemen,” Mr. King told The Epoch Times.

“We have a strong organization, and that has to mean at least a few votes in every election district, but you’d rather not have the snow. It’s a gamble.”

Original News Source Link – Epoch Times

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