By Heather Grossmann, Mariel Clark, Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producers
MANHATTAN — Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Comptroller William Thompson hit the streets Tuesday morning in a final attempt to cajole, prod and push New Yorkers to the polls in a mayoral election that is expected to have anemic turnout.
Thompson, who was trailing Bloomberg by 12 points in the latest Quinnipiac Poll, cast his vote at P.S. 134 on 122nd Street and Lennox Avenue. Later, he campaigned at 135th and Lennox before moving on to Brooklyn, where he was to speak at a senior center.
The mayor started his the day off with a tweet.
“Good morning #NYC. On my way to vote!” he wrote, before heading off to P.S. 6 at 81st Street and Madison Avenue.
The mayor then campaigned at the 72nd Street and Broadway subway stop where he shook hands and remarked on Twitter about the “energy and enthusiasm” of the voters he found there. Later Tuesday evening he will attend his campaign party at the Sheraton in Midtown.
Downtown, Tammy Meltzer, of Battery Park City, was teaching her 5-year-old daughter, Leila, about the significance of voting.
“It’s important to teach our children,” Meltzer said. “It is our right and it is also our privilege.”
Meltzer is backing Bloomberg.
“I voted because I believe in four more years," she said. "Michael Bloomberg all the way.”
Meltzer also voted for Margaret Chin, the Democratic City Council candidate for District, who is expected to win. But Meltzer worried that Chin would not provide sufficient support for Battery Park City.
Tony Torres, of Midtown, was looking for change at his polling site on West 58th Street.
“I think we've had enough of Bloomberg,” Torres said. “If the man really wants to help the city, that $100 million he spent on the campaign could really help!”
Torres was also annoyed by the 30 robocalls he received from Bloomberg, saying that he had even received one at 11 p.m. last night.
Another Midtown resident, Herta Gordon, had a different take on the mayor.
"The economy is somewhat difficult now,” Gordan said. “I'd rather stick with something I know that go with someone new.”
The candidates will continue to crisscross the city today, knowing that the key to this election is in motivating people to get out and vote.
