Your Voice · Your Vote · Your Village

Your Voice.
Your Vote.
Your Village.

About Us

Welcome!  Village Independent Democrats is a progressive, activist community organization of local Democrats committed to party reform, social justice, equality under the law, and the welfare of all.  VID works to reform city, state, and national politics and to ensure progressive political leadership, fair judges, and forward-thinking policies. 

VID is open to anyone, wherever you live, and you are invited to participate as you choose.  Although members may belong to multiple clubs, VID requires members to vote in only one. We operate on the ground, knocking on doors for endorsed candidates, holding debates and forums with politicians on reforms, and engaging with elected leaders who speak at our meetings.

Born in 1956, VID has a long and colorful history as one of the longest-standing reform Democratic clubs in New York City.

Follow VID on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook (no Twitter!) @VillageDe

 

Reminder: VID October Membership Meeting

Join us on Thursday, October 8 at 6:30 PM at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher Street, for VID’s October General Membership Meeting.

  • Can’t attend in person? Join us on Zoom HERE.

We’ll discuss the five NYC Charter amendments on the November ballot and vote on whether VID should support each proposal:

1. Speed Up Process for Granting a Revocable Consent to Use Public Space
Streamlines approvals for uses such as ramps, planters, and sidewalk cafés by making public hearings optional and eliminating City Council authority to reject sidewalk café permits.

2. Reduce City Contractor Paperwork; Require Regular Meetings of Procurement Policy Board
Changes city contracting rules to allow simplified contractor questionnaires and additional delegated contract approvals, removes some mandatory hearing requirements, and requires the Procurement Policy Board to meet quarterly.

3. Speed Up Street Safety Projects, Disposition of Unused City Property, Office Leasing
Streamlines approval processes for major street-safety projects, the sale or lease of certain city-owned property, and city office leases, reducing some agency and City Council review requirements.

4. Simplify Building Permitting and Move Waterfront Permitting to Department of Buildings
Creates a centralized construction permitting system, allows additional officials to approve construction documents, and moves waterfront construction permitting to the Department of Buildings.

5. Set Contribution Targets for Rainy Day Fund to Promote Sufficient Budgetary Reserves
Sets a goal of maintaining reserves equal to at least 12% of the prior year’s city tax revenue and requires a methodology for making contributions when reserves fall below the target.

Learn more before the meeting:

  • NYC Votes: Official ballot language and voter information.

  • The City Reporter: Independent reporting, context, and perspectives on the five proposals.

  • PIX11 – Ann Cheng: Hear directly from the Executive Director of the Commission on Government Efficiency, which developed the proposals, about what they would change and the commission’s rationale for them.

 

Get on the VOTE BLUE Bus!

Help Flip Congress!

Election Day is 37 days away, and we need everyone's help to build a blue wave in November and take back the U.S. House.

Join us to knock doors!

 

Vote Blue Bus Weekly Schedule

Here is the full schedule; please sign up for as many days as you can. These are winnable seats but it will all depend on turnout.

  • Saturday, Oct 10 to PA CD-08 (Paige Cognetti). Sign up here.
  • Saturday, Oct 17 to NY CD-17 (Cait Conley). Save the date. 
  • Overnight weekend Oct 17-18 to PA CD-10 (Janelle Stelson). Sign up here.
 

VID on the Bus!

 

 

Check Your Registration (Again) And Vote Early!

We know—we’ve asked you to do this before. We’re asking again, and we’ll keep asking through Election Day (Nov. 3). Following a new SCOTUS ruling allowing expanded use of a federal citizenship-verification database, make checking your voter registration a rinse-and-repeat habit this election season.

Check your status now, check it again before you vote, and ask friends and family to do the same. If there’s a problem, you want time to fix it.

✓ Check your voter registration → Check here

Caution: Do not use VOTESAFE.org. This is a website, financed by Elon Musk, falsely claims to help people register to vote but will actually collect your personal information. Details here.

More information → New York State Board of Elections

 

In-Person Postcarding!

Join Downtown Nasty Women & Team Min to write Get Out the Vote postcards. Postcards, addresses, scripts and stamps are provided. Just bring a pen and stay as long as you can!

  • Tuesday, October 6, 3 – 6 pm. Sign up (Location upon RSVP)
  • Wednesday, October 7, 10 AM–Noon — Jack’s Wife Freda, 72 University Place | Sign up

Can’t join us in person? We can help you get started writing from home; email [email protected].

 

 

Stay Connected

Sign up for the VID Newsletter
The Dispatch
here