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Tech:NYC Digest: October 27

Tech:NYC Digest: October 27

October 27, 2020 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Tuesday, October 27, 2020As NYC’s reopening and recovery efforts continue, the digest focuses on the resources that help you make decisions about your businesses and your lives as New Yorkers.Was this digest forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

The latest: California is the latest state to make NY’s travel advisory list; 310,000 ballots cast as NYC entered the fourth day of early voting; Mayor de Blasio advises against traveling for Thanksgiving as cases continue to climb nationwide; check out the latest episode of Talk:NYC with Senators Gillibrand and Schumer.

Confirmed Cases:

New York State: 498,646 (+1,991)
New York City: 259,710 (+731)
Statewide Fatalities: 25,758 (+15)
Daily NYC Infection Rate: 1.3 percent (-0.1 percent)

General Updates:

More than one million NYC residents remain out of work, and the city’s unemployment rate is near double the national average. (New York Times) That stands in stark contrast to a decade of sustained economic growth where the city had gained one million jobs before the virus hit. A thriving tech sector that is doubling down on the city will help, but with tourists still staying away and many sectors unable to bring back jobs quickly, NYC's recovery could be slower than other parts of the nation.
California has been added to New York’s travel advisory, bringing the total number of states on the list to 41. (NYS) New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts also meet the criteria for the list, but Gov. Cuomo said the interconnected nature of these bordering states make the 14-day quarantine requirement infeasible. Instead, he is discouraging all non-essential travel to these states.
A couple of promising vaccine updates: the clinical trial by AstraZeneca and Oxford has shown promising immune response in older adults. (Wall Street Journal) And Dr. Fauci said a vaccine could be available in the US by the end of the year and more widely available “several months into 2021.” (BBC)
With unprecedented demand for mail-in ballots this year, printing plants are feeling the pressure. (New York Times) For the November election, one printing company went through 6,500 miles of paper to print 36 million ballots for 11 states. The paper ballots may seem old-fashioned, but with years of glitchy attempts at paperless voting, election security experts continue coming back to them.
And lastly: join us in wishing the NYC subway a happy 116th birthday!

One good listen: with one week to go until Election Day, our podcast Talk:NYC welcomed Sens. Gillibrand and Schumer to chat about New York’s forecast beyond Tuesday (and also pizza). Get it here or wherever you find podcasts.

The latest results: All eyes are on early turnout numbers, in New York and across the country. Whether you’ve already voted or plan to in the coming week, what’s your voting plan?

Today’s poll: We’re exactly one week away from Election Day, and if you’re like us, you’re feeling overwhelmed. That’s totally normal. New York Magazine is gathering sentiments from its readers about the election, including your anxiety about it. How would you describe your emotional state right now?

*|SURVEY: Very anxious and/or scared|*
*|SURVEY: Somewhat anxious and/or scared|*
*|SURVEY: Concerned|*
*|SURVEY: Slightly concerned|*
*|SURVEY: Totally fine|*

Find the poll results from all previous editions of this newsletter here.

Election 2020:

Today marks the fourth day of early voting in New York. (New York Times) As of close yesterday, more than 310,000 ballots have been cast in NYC. Early voting became law in 2018 when the state legislature passed a number of reforms, many of which were already law in other states. But early voting is just the beginning (and we still have some kinks to iron out!). Here’s a look at other voting reforms New York could accomplish next:

Automatic Voter Registration: This was passed by the legislature in July but not yet signed by the Governor. If signed, it will go into effect in 2023 and is expected to automatically register two million New Yorkers not currently registered, unless they opt-out. It's a popular concept, but costly to implement.
Same-Day Voter Registration: Right now, New Yorkers need to register to vote in advance of election day. A constitutional amendment is in the works to allow for registration on Election Day. This constitutional amendment is expected to be on the ballot in November 2021.
Paid Postage for Mail-in-Ballots: While not yet formally introduced as a bill, advocates in New York are pushing for this idea to be passed in Albany next year after the state denied a request to pay for mail-in-ballot postage.

Ranked-Choice Voting in NYC: In June and November 2021, New York City voters will vote in city elections using a new Ranked-Choice Voting process. This is expected to cause a good deal of confusion and advocacy organizations are already launching educational tutorials.

Reopening:

Mayor de Blasio is urging New Yorkers not to travel out of state for the holidays. (POLITICO) With single-day case counts on the rise in the city, he said the city will also be ramping up enforcement of the state’s travel advisory requiring travelers from high-risk states to quarantine for 14 days.
Relatedly: SUNY students will be required to show negative coronavirus test results before being allowed to leave campus for Thanksgiving break. (Gothamist) The measure will be put in place so that students don’t risk exposing others across the state and country — or risk bringing the virus back to campus with them.
Attendance data for NYC public schools was released yesterday, showing attendance averages about 85 percent, which is lower than pre-COVID rates. (CBS New York) Even further from the city’s goals: only 26 percent of NYC students are attending in-person classes. (New York Times)
If you put your belongings in storage and left the city for an extended time, one warning: storage units in NYC aren’t covered under the eviction moratorium. (THE CITY) Storage fees are different from unpaid bills under law, which means storage companies have the right to auction off customers’ things instead of just ceasing services.