In The News-New York State
Early Voting in New York State
2026 Primary Election Voting
June 13th – June 21st
Early Voting: Outside NYC
Voters may visit any of their assigned Early Voting Centers in their county.
For Primary, General, and Special elections, early voters are provided with nine days to vote in person prior to Election Day. Early voting hours of operation are provided by local County Boards of Elections.
Early Voting: New York City
Voters must vote at their assigned early voting site. The early voting site may be different from your Election Day poll site. Early polling poll site search
NYC Primary Election Early Voting Dates/Times
Saturday, June 13 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday, June 14 9 am to 5 pm
Monday, June 15 9 am to 5 pm
Tuesday, June 16 10 am to 8 pm
Wednesday, June 17 10 am to 8 pm
Thursday, June 18 8 am to 4 pm
Friday, June 19 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday, June 20 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday, June 21 9 am to 5 pm
Public Service Commission Launches Proceeding to Secure 8.4 GW of Nuclear Backbone of Zero-Emissions Electricity
Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday announced the kickoff of the Nuclear Reliability Backbone process (26-E-0335) by the Public Service Commission (Commission). The proceeding will evaluate the potential mechanisms for integrating new nuclear timely, cost-effectively, and with maximum benefits to New York’s electric grid and ratepayers.
This launch follows the Governor’s directive in her 2026 State of the State for the Department of Public Service to build a pathway to 4 gigawatts of new nuclear power on top of the at least 1 gigawatt in new nuclear that she called upon the New York Power Authority in 2025 to develop and construct.
According to the Governor, the PSC action marks the start of a full examination of ways to bring new advanced nuclear power online. The Backbone initiative is intended to ensure New York maintains a reliable supply of zero-emission electricity while advancing affordability in the State’s clean energy goals. The Order requests stakeholder feedback on issues related to the development of a Nuclear Reliability Backbone, including the need, grid impacts, technology selection, project financing, and cost-effective site selection for transmission and generation.
In addition, the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) today released its Advanced Nuclear Options Paper. The Options Paper evaluates policy mechanisms to support new grid-scale advanced nuclear projects, assessing barriers to commercial viability, risk management, potential financial support and funding, technology selection, and procurement approaches that can enable project viability while minimizing costs and risks to the public.
“Advanced nuclear is one of the best available options to provide both relief to consumers and strengthen the resilience of New York’s grid with round-the-clock emission-free energy,” Governor Hochul said. “Additional nuclear supply reinforces my vision for an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes renewables and other forms of energy to help keep the lights on and costs down for New Yorkers.”
Chapters of the Laws of 2026
Chapter 60 — Sponsored by AM Jackson/Senator Harckham — Establishes the definition of “integrated behavioral health services” in relations to services provided by a mental health program licensed under Article 31 of the mental health law or addiction disorder services provided by a provider certified pursuant to Article 32 of the mental health law.
Chapter 120 — Sponsored by AM Paulin/Senator Scarcella Spanton — Increases the time frame for payments of certain expenses by adoptive parents from 180 days before birth to 45 days after the birth (or parental consent to the adoption).
Chapter 121 — Sponsored by AM Hevesi/Senator Skoufis — Authorizes locally operated secure and specialized secure juvenile detention and state-operated juvenile justice facilities to use radiological body scanner technology to screen individuals detained in, visiting, or employed in such facilities for contraband.
Chapter 122 — Sponsored by AM Chandler-Waterman/Senator Brouk — Increases the time frame of both license validity and license registration for child day care and group family child care programs from four to six years.
Chapter 123 — Sponsored by Senator Scarcella Spanton/AM Cashman — Authorizes New York State to participate in the Northern Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the International Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
Chapter 124 — Sponsored by AM Powers/Senator Hinchey — Authorizes the SUNY Board of Trustees to update the process to allow for certain exceptions and implement late fees in relation to the submission of a certificate of residency as evidence of eligibility for in-state tuition rates. This adjustment will provide for necessary flexibility and account for hardships and extenuating circumstances affecting students.
Chapter 131 — Sponsored by Senator Skoufis/Assembly Committee on Rules (at the request of AM Stirpe) — Authorizes on-premises licensees to remain open for extended hours starting on June 11th, 2026 and ending on July 20th, 2026 unless they have specific stipulations on hours of operation on their license.
Chapter 130 — Sponsored by Senator Skoufis/Assembly Committee on Rules (at the request of AM Walker) — Authorizes the legislature to determine the form in which a proposed amendment to the constitution shall be submitted to the people.
NYISO Releases Power Trends 2026
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) this week released Power Trends 2026, its annual report on forces shaping the electric grid and wholesale electricity markets. The report urges an “all-of-the-above” investment approach to developing new generation resources, guided and supported by the power of competitive electric markets.
Power Trends 2026 details how electrification of the building and transportation sectors, along with the growth of large energy-intensive projects, is accelerating demand and placing new strains on the grid. At the same time, retirements and performance challenges among aging resources are reducing the system’s margin for error, underscoring the need for timely and sustained investment across a broad range of resource types.
“New York is at a defining moment for its electric system, comparable to the periods that first built and expanded the grid that powers our economy today,” said NYISO President and CEO Rich Dewey. “An all-of-the-above approach to investment, supported by effective competitive electric markets, is needed now to maintain system reliability and support the state’s economic and environmental goals.”
The report identifies several key trends impacting system reliability and long-term planning:
- Declining reliability margins: Generator retirements and performance challenges among aging resources are outpacing the addition of new supply, narrowing the system’s margin for error during periods of stress.
- Rapid and uncertain load growth: Large energy-intensive projects and electrification are increasing demand and complicating forecasts, particularly as load patterns evolve.
- Shifting seasonal risks: Winter conditions are emerging as a defining reliability challenge, with fuel constraints and rising winter demand increasing system stress.
- A changing resource mix: Growth in renewable generation and storage, combined with the retirement of conventional resources, is altering the operational characteristics of the grid and increasing dependence on weather-dependent supply.
- Expanding system uncertainty: The interaction of electrification, large load growth, extreme weather, and project timing is widening the range of potential future system conditions, reinforcing the need for scenario-based planning.
In The News-New York City
“Newest New Yorkers” Report Highlights New York City’s Immigrant Communities
The Mamdani Administration this week released the 2026 edition of The Newest New Yorkers, a comprehensive portrait of the city’s foreign-born residents.
The new report finds that New York City’s immigrant population remains steady at 3.1 million, with new neighborhood hubs emerging across the five boroughs and the city’s foreign-born population continuing to grow more diverse. Foreign-born New Yorkers make up more than one-third of the city’s population and 43% of its workforce. Nearly half of all New Yorkers speak a language other than English at home.
Queens and Brooklyn continue to have the largest foreign-born populations. Flushing–Murray Hill in Queens remains the neighborhood with the largest immigrant population, followed by Elmhurst and Corona in Queens, East Flatbush and Gravesend in Brooklyn and Washington Heights in Manhattan.
At the same time, foreign-born New Yorkers have settled more broadly across the city over the past decade than in previous years. While some long-established immigrant neighborhoods saw declines in their foreign-born population – including Washington Heights, Manhattan’s Chinatown, Astoria, Sunset Park and East Flatbush – new immigrant hubs have emerged in neighborhoods such as Gravesend and East New York in Brooklyn; Springfield Gardens and St. Albans in Queens; Grasmere and New Springville in Staten Island; and Westchester Square and Bedford Park in the Bronx.
China joined the Dominican Republic as the city’s largest foreign-born population. Jamaica and Mexico followed as the third- and fourth-largest groups.
The 10 largest foreign-born groups also include Bangladesh, which moved up to seventh place, and Colombia and Ukraine, which entered the top 10 for the first time. Other leading countries of origin include Ecuador, Guyana, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and India.
The report is the first update since 2013 and includes an interactive web version. The full report and interactive tools are available at https://www.nyc.gov/content/planning/pages/our-work/reports/newest-new-yorker.
As Budget Deadline Nears, Comptroller Levine Urges Focus on Projected $8.8 Billion FY 2028 Budget Gap
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine this week released his analysis of the FY 2027 Executive Budget, including updated revenue estimates, ahead of his testimony before the City Council on the City’s spending plan.
In his testimony summarizing the report’s key findings, the Comptroller commends the administration for balancing a budget without raising property taxes or drawing down the rainy-day fund — outcomes made possible thanks to strong revenue from Wall Street, support from Albany, and efficiencies and savings proposed by the Mayor. However, the Comptroller warns that the budget also relies on one-shot measures, and serious underlying fiscal challenges remain. His analysis projects an $8.8 billion budget gap in FY 2028, exceeding the $7.1 billion forecast in the May Financial Plan, even absent an economic downturn.
“When we plug in our tax forecast and our estimates of underbudgeted costs and unmet program needs, including overtime and childcare vouchers, the FY 2028 gap widens to a daunting $8.8 billion. We will face that gap without the option of the many one-shot measures that we used up this year,” Comptroller Levine said.
The analysis provides six key takeaways:
- The economy is strong, but not for everyone: The Office of the Comptroller has revised tax forecast upward by $927 million in FY 2026 and $1.1 billion in FY 2027 since March. However, the private sector has lost 6,000 jobs in 2026, while real wages decline for two-thirds of private sector workers and local inflation hit 4.6% in April, the highest in three years.
- The budget is balanced with one-time and temporary measures: The May Financial Plan relies on $6.1 billion in one-time measures, including pension re-amortization, accounting adjustments, delaying class size mandates, and lower subsidies to the MTA.
- We are spending more than we take in: The plan dramatically reduces the pre-payment of next year’s expenses by $2.8 billion —from $3.8 billion in FY 2025 to roughly $1 billion in FY 2026 — a 72% decline. Taking the reduced prepayment and the re-estimate of prior year expenses together, this means that we are spending $4.4 billion more than we are bringing in this fiscal year.
- The budget gap is widening: Even with extensive one-time measures and booming tax revenue, the City’s stated outyear gaps are growing. The Office of the Comptroller estimates an even larger FY2028 gap of $8.8 billion.
- There are risks ahead: The Plan carries roughly $600 million in unallocated savings, plus $1.97 billion over four years in three new “cost-containment” targets for CityFHEPS, DHS shelter, and DOE special-education Due Process Cases — all which require detailed implementation plans. Additionally, the plan draws down the General Reserve in FY 2027 to $100 million (the statutory minimum) and does not prepare for the potential impacts of AI or other economic uncertainty.
- Long-term Reserves should be grown: The City will finish the year with $2.0 billion in the Revenue Stabilization Fund and $5.2 billion in the Retiree Health Benefit Trust. As a share of City taxes, that is well below the 16% the City should target.
In his testimony, the Comptroller calls for a Charter amendment establishing formal rules for the Rainy Day Fund: a 16% target of tax revenues with a 10% floor, a deposit formula when revenues exceed trend, and clear, narrow criteria for withdrawals. New York City’s Rainy Day Fund currently has few parameters for making regular deposits or when reserves can be withdrawn, a departure from other major cities.
Briefs
NYS Division of Budget Releases FY2027 Budget Financial Plan
The New York State Division of Budget (DOB) this week released the State’s Financial Plan for FY 2027 (covering the fiscal year starting April 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2027) which totaled $277 billion in spending, an increase of about $9 billion from the initial $268 billion estimate.
In addition, the outyear budget gaps have been revised to reflect the impact of recurring additions and baseline revisions and are projected to be roughly $3.8 billion higher in total across all years compared to the Executive Budget proposal. The outyear budget gaps are estimated at $6.4 billion in FY 2028, $10.5 billion in FY 2029, and $14.7 billion in FY 2030.
According to the plan, in the FY 2027 Enacted Budget, the 7.25 percent top corporate tax rate was extended for three years through tax year 2029, resulting in increased revenue for the State and the MTA. New York has the third-highest top personal income tax (PIT) rate among states at 10.9 percent. In NYC, the combined PIT top rate of 14.776 percent is the highest in the nation. Likewise, NYC-based businesses face the highest State and local combined top corporate tax rate in the nation at nearly 17.5 percent.
New York State Board of Elections Urges Voters to Mail Completed Ballots Early Following USPS Postmark Changes
New York State election officials are encouraging voters to return early mail and absentee ballots for the June 2026 Primary Election as soon as possible following recent changes to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark procedures that may affect how mail is dated and processed.
Under updated USPS guidance this year, a postmark reflects the date a mail piece is processed at a postal facility rather than the date it was deposited in the mail. As a result, mail placed in a mailbox on a particular day may not receive a postmark until a later date.
To ensure ballots are counted, voters are strongly encouraged to mail their ballots well before the deadline or return ballots directly to a poll site or their county board of elections. “While these postal changes do not alter New York’s election laws, they underscore the importance of voters making a plan to return their ballot,” stated Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, Co-Executive Director of the State Board of Elections.
New York State election law permits ballots to be postmarked up through election day. Voters who choose to mail a ballot close to this deadline may request a manual or hand-stamped postmark at a USPS retail counter. These are available at no charge upon request.
Mayor Mamdani Nominates Housing Policy Leader John Mangin as Chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the nomination of John Mangin as Chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). Mangin currently serves as Director of the Housing Division at the Department of City Planning.
The BSA is an independent five-member board that reviews zoning matters and grants variances for certain types of development. In 2025, New York City voters approved the creation of a new Affordable Housing Fast Track action, allowing the BSA to approve certain affordable housing proposals.
Mangin previously served as Director of Policy and Research for the 2025 Charter Revision Commission, which proposed the most significant changes to the City’s land-use review process since 1989. Before joining City government, he advanced fair housing policy and litigation at Fair Share Housing in New Jersey. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Urban Planning at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a graduate of Yale Law School.
The Battery Coastal Resilience Project Phase I Completed
The Mamdani Administration this week announced the completion of phase one of Battery Coastal Resilience, a landmark $200 million investment in the long-term safety and resilience of Lower Manhattan.
The Battery Coastal Resilience Project is part of the $2.7 billion Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) Project. This project is being undertaken by NYCEDC in partnership with NYC Parks. Phase 1 began in 2024. Phase 2 is scheduled to begin in 2026 and anticipated to conclude in 2027. The project will address the following design goals:
- Reconstruct the deteriorating wharf
- Protect The Battery from rising seas over the next 80 years
- Accommodate passenger ferry uses
- Preserve and enhance park character and gardens
- Design for universal accessibility to create a welcoming and accessible esplanade
- Protect the park’s historic and cultural resources
The second and final phase of the project will reconstruct and elevate the remaining portion of the wharf. The project will support 400 construction jobs.
Coming Up
New York State
Monday, June 15th
New York State Board of Regents Meeting, 89 Washington – Albany, 9 a.m.
Tuesday, June 16th
New York State Board of Regents Meeting, 89 Washington – Albany, 11:15 a.m.
New York City
Monday, June 15th
Committee on Disabilities, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Hospitals, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Health, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, June 16th
Committee on Aging, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Committee on Parks and Recreation, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, June 17th
Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Public Housing, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 11 a.m.
Committee on Environmental Protection and Waterfronts, Committee Room – City Hall, 12 p.m.
Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.
Committee on Higher Education, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Committee on Contracts, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 1 p.m.
Thursday, June 18th
Committee on Civil and Human Rights, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.