Five Charter questions on NYC’s Nov. 3 ballot, plus the dates to register and vote early

Beyond the candidates, New York City ballots on Election Day, Nov. 3, will carry five yes-or-no questions. Each would amend the City Charter, the framework that defines how city government operates.

Ordinary local laws cannot change the Charter, since it can reshape the powers of government itself. That is why any amendment needs direct approval from voters.

What the five NYC ballot proposals cover

Together, the measures touch the city’s rainy day fund, building permits, street safety, the way the city awards contracts and how public space gets used. They grew out of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s goal of making government faster and easing red tape for small businesses. In May, Mamdani set up the Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE, which wrote the questions. Over June and July the commission held 10 hearings, spread across the five boroughs, and took suggestions from residents and elected officials.

Outdoor dining is the focus of one question. Under the current rules, a restaurant can wait as long as eight months for a sidewalk cafe permit, while an outdoor dining structure typically needs between three and five months. Folding both into a single application would aim to bring that wait down to two months. The measure follows a set of City Council bills approved in August to expand outdoor dining, one of which restores street sheds all year.

Key voting deadlines before Nov. 3

Oct. 24 is the last day to register. Anyone who recently moved to New York should file a change of address sooner, by Oct. 19. The Oct. 24 date also closes requests for mail ballots, and it opens early voting, which continues until Nov. 1.

Early voters should look up their polling place before heading out, since it may not match their Election Day site.

Much of the attention this year has gone to the governor’s race and the fight over which party controls the House. Susan Lerner, who leads the democracy watchdog Common Cause, said New Yorkers should give local questions their attention too. “Nobody hears your voice when you don’t speak, and voting is your voice,” she said.