Despite Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's best efforts to hip voters to the term limits proposal on the back of the ballot, only about half of the voters who showed up at the polls Tuesday actually weighed in on the issue. "What proposals?" asked one bewildered Twitter user after the fact. "On the back you say? But I wasn't told. Are you sure?" How did I get here? These aren't my socks. You're not my son! more ›

One of the complaints that Twittering NYC voters have had with today's general election is the size of the font on the actual ballot. One wondered, "NYC Board of Elections discouraging seniors to vote? Cuz the type on that ballot is extra tiny, even if they do supply magnifiers," only for the NYC Board of Elections to Tweet back, "On all BMDs, “Zoom In” makes the font size larger. “Zoom Out” brings the font back to normal size." The voter replied, "@BOENYC Ummm...no, there were no large font feature on the ballot marking device. Also was not given any instructions by workers." more ›

Now that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has selected Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy as his running mate and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli was backed to run for Comptroller, there are worries that the ballot is a little too white, especially when considering the five Democratic candidates for Attorney General are all white, too. Which is why Cuomo has reportedly called the Reverend Al Sharpton. more ›

Former Tennessee lawmaker and possible Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. claims his rival is using "underhanded tactics" to keep his name off the ballot. According to the New York newcomer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been trying to convince county Democratic Party chairs to endorse her before the May nominating convention, making it difficult for Ford to become an official Democratic candidate without initiating "a cumbersome and costly" petition drive. more ›

Yesterday, it was revealed that City Councilman Bill De Blasio was kicked off the ballot for the Public Advocate primary. Why? The Daily Politics' Elizabeth Benjamin, which calls the city's petition rules "infamously archaic and exacting," explains, "One false move - a misplaced numeral or missing period - and you're dead, which is why campaigns spend so much money on election attorneys. In this case, the problem was that de Blasio's cover sheet claimed there were 131 volumes of petitions, when in reality there were 132. This may seem trivial, but it was sufficient grounds for the rejection of all the Brooklyn Democrat's 125,000+ signatures." De Blasio's campaign believes that the issue can be resolved with the Board of Elections, and all three of his Democratic opponents told PolitickerNY that he should be on the ballot: Norman Siegel said, "Technicalities should not prevent a candidate from being on the ballot," and Mark Green chimed in with, "This super-technical violation shouldn't keep him off the ballot - but should lead to reforming ballot access laws," and Gioia said, "If he met all the requirements he should be put back on the ballot. Regardless, our campaign will continue to move ahead at full speed no matter what the courts decide." more ›

We have our own protracted election drama in the city: The Board of Elections is still counting ballots in the State Senate race between incumbent Frank Padavan (R) and City Councilman James Gennaro (D). Padavan leads by over 500 votes now, but now over 8,000 absentee and emergency paper ballots are being tallied amid charges from the Democratic Party like how the Republicans are only challenging votes of minority voters. (A judge will eventually decided what happens with the ballot.) Well, at least our BOE doesn't have to deal with the Senate recount in Minnesota--they use Scantron-style voting forms and some voters were messy-- or wrote in "Lizard People" while still filling in a circle for Al Franken. See the zany ballots here. more ›

In addition to approving a measure that loosens restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, Michigan voters also approved a medical marijuana ballot measure yesterday by an overwhelming majority, voting 63% to 37% to remove state-level penalties for registered patients using marijuana. But unlike other states such as California, the bill won't create legal dispensaries for the drug. Of course, not every one was for it: 20-year-old poindexter Claire Luczak, an uptight junior at the University of Michigan, said she voted against the proposal because "it would be too easy to get it. I know hundreds of people who smoke pot, and I think people would get it for recreational use and not legitimate reasons." And yesterday Massachusetts voters approved a marijuana decriminalization proposition that will make getting caught with less than an ounce of pot punishable by a civil fine of $100. [Hat tip Camera Club.] more ›

Watch your back, Dick Cheney! Actor Ed Asner, former Dallas Cowboy Mark Stepnoski, and formerly famous hip hop group Arrested Development are leading a petition drive to get a referendum on New York City’s November ballot that would establish a new 9/11 investigation. If the group, called 911 Truth, can collect 30,000 signatures before September 4th, the City Council will be required to consider the measure, which calls for an investigative panel with subpoena authority. more ›