VID Voter Guide - November 2025 General Election

Oct 19, 2025

Make Your Plan to VOTE!

To print out the one page VID flyer of endorsed proposals, click here.

The 2025 election is fast approaching. See below for VID's voter guide.

Key Dates

VID-Endorsed Candidates

  • Mayor: Zohran Mamdani 
  • Public Advocate: Jumaane Williams
  • Comptroller: Mark Levine
  • Manhattan DA: Alvin Bragg
  • Borough President: Brad Hoylman-Sigal
  • City Council District 1: Christopher Marte
  • City Council District 2: Harvey Epstein
  • City Council District 3: Erik Bottcher
  • District Leaders (66th AD, Part A): Mar Fitzgerald & Arthur Schwartz
  • Judges: NYS Supreme Court: Suzanne Adams, Jim Clynes, Deborah Kaplan, Judy Kim. NY Civil Court:  Eric Wursthorn

See full candidate bios and photos here.

VID Ballot Proposal Endorsements 

To print out the one page VID flyer of endorsed proposals, click here.

This November, New Yorkers will vote on 6 proposed City Charter changes could reshape how the city approves housing, manages land use, and conducts local elections. After careful review:

VID supports
Proposals 1 & 5

VID opposes
Proposals 2, 3, 4, and 6.

✅ 

YES on Prop 1 – Adirondack Olympic Sports Complex: Allows new ski trails and related facilities on 1,039 acres of state forest-preserve land in Essex County while requiring 2,500 acres of new protected forest in Adirondack Park.

VID Supports: Expands recreation responsibly and increases protected acreage.

At its core, it expands recreational use of protected land while adding new acreage elsewhere.

🚫 

NO on Prop 2 – Fast-Track Affordable Housing Approvals: Creates two new processes to speed up affordable-housing projects—one for publicly financed developments, another for the 12 districts that have produced the least affordable housing—by letting City Planning Commission or the Board of Standards and Appeals* approve projects without City Council review.

VID Opposes: Removes key checks on development and weakens community oversight and keeps the current seven-month ULURP process ending with City Council approval.

At its core, this proposal could accelerate affordable-housing development but would reduce City Council and community-level input. Because BSA Commissioners are mayoral appointees rather than elected officials, expanding their authority could shift decision-making from elected representatives to appointed officials.

* The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) is a five-member body appointed by the Mayor for six-year terms, with the City Council’s advice and consent, and professional qualifications required by the City Charter. 

🚫 

NO on Prop 3 – Expedited Review for Small Projects
The new land-use process (ELURP) creates a shorter timeline for modest housing and infrastructure projects, such as new buildings under 45 feet tall, density increases of up to 30% in existing residential buildings, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) like backyard cottages added to current homes.

VID Opposes: Cuts review time and shifts final authority from City Council to City Planning, reducing transparency and accountability. Keeps the full ULURP review with City Council’s final say.

At its core, it streamlines smaller projects but shifts authority from the City Council to the Planning Commission.

🚫 

NO on Prop 4 – Affordable Housing Appeals Board
Creates a three-member board (Mayor, Borough President, Council Speaker) that could overturn Council rejections of affordable-housing projects by a 2-to-1 vote.

VID Opposes: Concentrates power in the Mayor’s office and diminishes Council authority. Keeps the existing process, where the Council has the final decision.

At its core, this proposal aims to break housing stalemates and curb the Council’s informal practice of “member deference,” where individual councilmembers can effectively block projects in their own districts. It also changes the balance of power between the Mayor and City Council by giving the new board shared authority over affordable-housing appeals.

✅ 

YES on Prop 5 – Centralized Digital City Map
Combines five borough map offices into one digital system maintained by City Planning.

VID Supports: A modernization measure that improves efficiency with minimal policy impact.

At its core, it is a modernization measure with minimal policy impact.

🚫 

NO on Prop 6 – Move City Elections to Presidential Years and extend current terms by one year.

VID Opposes: Keeps city elections in odd-numbered years.

At its core, it could boost voter participation, but risks local issues being overshadowed by national politics.

 

Additional Resources: 

For full ballot language and official summaries, check out the nonpartisan NYC Votes voter guide here.

 

Please see below for more background resources for proposals 2, 3 & 4.