Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for vacant City Council Seats in 11th and 15th Districts

Voters in the Bronx have the opportunity to fill two vacant City Council seats today, and we urge voters in the borough's 11th and 15th Districts to elect Jessica Haller and John Sanchez, respectively.

Haller, a climate activist and entrepreneur, will bring fresh thinking to the City Council about how to help get residents of her northwest Bronx district out of their cars. She supports installing bus-only lanes on Broadway, believes the City Council should provide rebates for e-bike purchases, and would like to see the city implement traffic-calming street designs throughout the 11th Council District. Haller will advocate for creation of a micro-transit incubator that would partner the city with tech companies to develop new concepts for enhancing mobility.

Sanchez, currently the District Manager of Bronx Community Board 6, has made safer streets a centerpiece of his campaign. He's been outspoken about the need to reduce dependence on cars, and would accomplish that in part by supporting new busways on Fordham Road and 3rd Avenue, and protected bike lanes throughout the 15th District. He will advocate for universally daylighting street corners to increase safety, and plans to introduce legislation to create parking benefit districts, which would return extended parking-meter revenue to communities to fund streetscape improvements.

We were also impressed by Elisa Crespo, a progressive candidate who shares Sanchez's commitment to safer streets and better public transit in the 11th District. Ultimately, we believe Sanchez will be the most vocal champion for those issues, but Crespo is a strong second choice, all the more relevant given the advent of ranked choice voting.

You can find information about voting hours and locations here, and check your registration status at nycvotersearch.com. Learn more about how ranked choice voting works at rankthevotenyc.org.