The Nassau County local elections were held on Election Day, Nov. 2, and around 50 candidates ran for a position. To vote in New York, one must have the following criteria: be a U.S. citizen, be at least 18 years old, live at your present address for at least 30 days before voting, cannot be in prison, and cannot claim to vote somewhere else. 

     Senior Malachey Cavasa turned 18 before the election, but he decided not to vote. “Each person’s vote has such a large impact, and I was not informed enough on the candidates to vote,” he said. “I hope, and am excited to, vote when I am more knowledgeable on the candidates and topics at hand.”

     According to Nassau County’s official website, all 1,205 of the precincts counted votes, and the total number ballots casted was 287,427. Some of the most influential positions that affect every town were NYS supreme court justice, county executive, district attorney, county clerk, and supervisor for the town of Hempstead.

     Timothy S. Driscoll won the position of Supreme Court Justice of the State of New York with a total of 126,576 votes; Vito M. DeStefano was the runner up. The job of the Supreme Court Justice is to oversee several cases each year, and the individual can have a lasting impact on Nassau County. 

      Driscoll, who is from Locust Valley, has been assigned to the Nassau County Commercial Division since May 2009. He had also held the position of Deputy Nassau County Executive for Law Enforcement and Public Safety for three years, in addition to being a well-recognized federal prosecutor. Driscoll has held the position of Supreme Court Justice since 2007. According to Newsday, he “is running on the Democratic, Republican, and Conservative party lines in the general election.”

     The winner of the election for county executive is Republican Bruce Blakeman, and his predecessor was Democrat Laura Curran. Blakeman will take over on Jan 1. According to AP Government teacher John Cornicello, “Time will tell if there is much of a difference between Curran and her opponent, Bruce Blakeman. They are both pretty moderate and agree on a number of issues.” 

      In his position, Blakeman “is the chief administrator of county government, responsible for law enforcement, planning, consumer protection, roads, parks and recreation facilities, all other services provided by the county, and preparation of the county budget,” according to the Nassau County website.

     Republican Anne T. Donnelly won the election for district attorney by 142,134 votes, with NYS Senator Todd Kaminsky in last with 117,197 votes. District attorneys have several jobs, including representing the state and state agencies in state courts. According to Microsoft News, “One of [Donnelly’s] goals is to invest enthusiasm and pride back into the lives of the assistant district attorneys.”

     The winner for county clerk is Republican Maureen C. O’Connell. According to the County website, the county clerk is the “official keeper of public records for Nassau County. The Clerk’s office ensures that public records are retained, archived, and made accessible to the public in accordance with all laws and regulations.” O’Connell was reelected into this position.

     The supervisor of the town of Hempstead is Donald X. Clavin Jr. from Garden City. Clavin was first elected to this position in 2019. According to Newsday, Clavin is a Republican but “is also running on the Conservative, Tax Revolt, and Independence party lines.”