The NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) voted to approve public matching funds payments for the Nov. 4 general election totaling $4,641,927 to 62 candidates on Thursday, Oct. 30.

 

CFB officials said this total outlay is the final payment of the 2025 election cycle, and added that the payment determinations were based on required disclosure statement #14 filed by participating candidates.

 

They said in the meeting, the Board also voted on non-payment determinations for participating candidates who they said have not demonstrated eligibility to receive public funds payments as of Oct. 30.

New York City’s matching funds program aims to eliminate some of the financial barriers to participation in elections in New York City by providing access to financial resources New Yorkers in every community can use to run for office. Such financing is paid for by tax dollars.

 

To qualify for public funds, candidates must demonstrate support by raising small contributions within their communities, which encourages candidates to spend more time speaking to voters and less time fundraising. Click here to see the exact thresholds that candidates must meet to qualify for public funds.

 

CFB officials said the participating candidates receiving matching fund payments on Oct. 30 have met all the requirements of the Campaign Finance Act and board rules, have at least one opponent in their race, and have achieved a minimum threshold level of public support by already raising small-dollar campaign contributions from the city residents they seek to represent.

The attached tables list the candidates for mayor, public advocate, city comptroller, Bronx borough president, and city council in Bronx city council districts 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17 (only) who have received public funds payments throughout the 2025 election cycle.

 

New Yorkers are also being reminded to flip their ballot to vote on a number of ballot proposals. Read the official ballot proposals in English here, in Spanish here and in Bengali here.

 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81) shared his opinions on the various ballot proposals, while encouraging voters to do their own research.

Proposal 1. He said this is a state constitutional amendment to allow expansion of new ski trails in the Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County, New York, and added that it’s in the state forest preserve and would require the state to add 2,500 acres to protected forest land to the Adirondack Park. He said he was voting yes on #1.

 

Proposals 2, 3 and 4. He said these three New York City proposed Charter amendments are proposals which he said sounded good on paper, but which are, he believes, dangerous. He said all three are supposedly meant to make it easier to build more housing more quickly. He said that may sound good, but added that the proposals are, in his opinion, a power grab that would result not in much-needed housing development but in “runaway development.” He called it a power grab because he said it would massively shift power and influence away from the community and city council to the mayor and the mayor’s appointees.

The assemblyman said these three proposals are being backed by millions of dollars in SuperPAC money. He added that if you believe the community should have some input into the shaping of housing construction, such as the size of units, number of units, amount of parking, green infrastructure, union labor and more, then you should vote against these three proposals and if you think the mayor should have most of the say in development and not the community, then you would want to vote yes. He said he was voting no on #2, #3 AND #4.

 

City Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11) held an information session on the ballot proposals on Monday evening, Oct. 27, and recommended the same course of action, while also encouraging voters to do their own research.

Proposal 5. The assemblyman said this proposal would make NYC Department of City Planning responsible for creating, maintaining, and digitizing a single city map. This is straightforward. He said he was voting yes on #5.

 

Proposal 6. The assemblyman said this would move local elections in New York City, such as mayor and city council, to the same year as presidential elections. He said the hope is that more people would vote in these elections if they were held during the presidential election year. He said the main concern raised is that the ballots for those years would be more crowded. He said he is voting yes on #6.

Abigail Martin, female district leader for A.D. 81, and member of a local Democratic club, The Unity Democrats, also shared the attached grid which shows the implications, as interpreted by the Unity Democrats, for a “yes” and a “no” vote on each proposal.

 

Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul advocated for a “yes” vote on the three contentious housing Proposals 2, 3 and 4, and Democratic mayoral nominee, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani later said he would also vote yes on all proposals except Proposal 6.

 

Early voting is underway. Many New Yorkers may be eligible to head to the polls during work hours on Election Day thanks to voting leave! New York State law allows eligible employees to take up to 2 hours off to vote. Talk to your employer and know your rights: https://elections.ny.gov/.

 

The mayoral and other general elections in New York City take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting began Saturday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 2. The voter registration deadline is Saturday, Oct. 25, which is the last day your application can be received by the Board of Elections to be eligible to vote. For more information, visit  https://www.nycvotes.org/how-to-vote/elections-calendar/#voter+registration+deadline.