Bronx News Network

Espada Concedes

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WNYC and their site it’s a free country are reporting that incumbent Pedro Espada is conceding. Gustavo Rivera will take the Democratic nomination into the November election. Here is what NY1 is reporting:

“With 15 percent of precincts reporting in Espada’s District 33, Gustavo Rivera held 69 percent of the vote to Espada’s 25 percent.” You can read Twitter feeds from Bronx News Network staff on the right. They have more detailed results there from the candidates’ after-election parties.

Bronx News Network

On the Last Leg of the Campaign Trail with Gustavo Rivera

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Here are some snippets from a couple of hours I spent out at the polls and visiting a few senior centers with the Gustavo Rivera campaign earlier today. When I arrived at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center on DeKalb Avenue in Norwood, I saw Hasan Ali, a former member of Community Board 7, who was the coordinator of this polling site. As of about 11:30 a.m. 143 people had voted. Ali said things were going pretty smoothly with the new polling machines, essentially a scanner that reads the voters’ penciled-in cards. Poll coordinator Hasan Ali with voter-card scanner at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.

Bronx News Network

Stories Not About Politics in Norwood News

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While we’re waiting for election results, just a reminder: the latest edition of the Norwood News is out on streets and online now. Here’s a sampling of some non-election stories you’ll find. Rashaad Ernesto Green, a young film director from the Bronx is putting the final touches on his new movie, “Gun Hill Road” – filmed largely on and around, you guessed it, Gun Hill Road. Police are still looking for witnesses to come forward with information about killing of a 20-year-old father who was exiting St. James Park in University Heights.

Bronx News Network

Rivera Campaign Alleges 'Illegal Activity' at Polls By Team Espada

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Earlier this morning, volunteers for Gustavo Rivera’s campaign were attempting to have one of Pedro Espada’s staffers, Michael Gary, kicked out of the Amalgamated Houses Polling site: Vladeck Hall. Gary, an Amalgamated resident who was involved in a little dust-up with political blogger Rafael Martinez Alequin two weekends ago during an Espada campaign event in front of Mosholu Library, was one of two volunteer poll watchers assigned to the Amalgamated site. The other was Carl Tucker, Espada’s legislative director, who said he got there at 5:30 a.m.

An hour ago, Rivera’s campaign sent out a press release saying Gary, who said he started working for Espada in February, “steered people to vote for Espada. Once voters were inside the poll site, Gary said, ‘I speak Spanish, I can help you vote.'”

Espada’s camp has, of course, denied doing anything improper. Other allegations of impropriety include:

-At 268 East 207th Street: Senator Pedro Espada was inside the polling location, talking to voters,
handing out literature, and saying “vote for me” with his campaign workers.

CITY WIRE: THE BLOG

Mixed Reviews for New Voting Machines

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??A woman tests out a new ballot scanning machine in Bedford Parklast month. (Photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)??? So far, there’s been both good and bad feedback about the Board of Election’s new voting system that debuted today-a paper ballot and scanner to replace the traditional lever machines, which have been used in New York since the 1960s.Mayor Bloomberg said this morning that the BOE’s handling of the new system was “a royal screw-up,”

Bronx News Network

What You're Seeing Out There

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We asked readers to tell us what they’re seeing out there and one Norwood resident sent us this dispatch from MS 80 on Mosholu Parkway in Norwood. I vote at MS 80 on Mosholu Parkway – To vote here you need to be persistent – there is a line of parents and kids trying to get there kids registered that I had to push – pass – then I had to firmly tell the school guard (an obnoxious fellow) that no I did not need to get on his line –

Bronx News Network

Voter Turnout Looking Up in the NW Bronx

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Lynn Schwartz, a longtime local activist in the northwest Bronx, voted early this morning at the Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center. She was the 20th person to cast her vote there. Normally, Schwartz said, “I’m like number three.” Former candidate in the 33rd Senate District Dan Padernacht (who is now telling his supporters to vote for fellow challenger Gustavo Rivera), said he also votes at the nursing home. In 2008, Padernacht said only 17 people total voted at that site.