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One of Caitlin Cafiero’s first memories is accompanying her mom to vote for president, a moment she remembered as “important.” Cafiero, a Syracuse University graduate student, was one of several voters who cast their ballot in Tuesday’s local election.

Across the city, both SU students and Syracuse residents spoke to The Daily Orange about using their votes to make themselves heard. Voters cited equal rights, the environment, health care, affordable housing and education as key issues that guided their opinions when voting.

Cafierio said she had been following the city’s mayoral election “pretty closely,” looking for whose values most closely aligned with her own. She said she was unhappy with the city’s decision to build an aquarium, saying that money should’ve been spent on fixing pothole-filled roads.

However, Cafierio said to reserve the right to complain, she has to vote.

“If I don’t kind of put my money where my mouth is, do my civic duty and follow the local politics up through state and federal, then I lose some credibility when I complain,” Cafierio said.

First-time voter and SU freshman Gabriele Marthone said voting in local elections is just as important as voting for the president of the United States. She said even if you don’t personally feel the change, other groups, like Indigenous communities in the city, may be impacted.

“This is my first time where I’m so close to a cultural group that has been affected, so I want to make sure I’m making decisions on behalf of them to help,” Marthone said.

She said local issues, including the environment, were also a main driver in why she decided to register in Syracuse. Marthone believes it’s important to have a say in the city she’ll be living in for the next four years.

Fifty-five-year-old Ofrona Reid, President and CEO of the Syracuse Community Health Center, said his main concern was gaps in New York state’s healthcare systems. He said because of federal uncertainties, he chose a candidate who would address both financial and healthcare disparities.

Reid expressed concern for the recent Medicaid cuts and its impact on the Syracuse community.

“Just knowing that the 13202 zip code is a poor zip code in New York state, I think (the candidates) have to have a clear understanding how important it is to keep the health center open and alive,” Reid said.

Sarah Pallo, the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development’s public information officer, said Ben Walsh, the current Syracuse mayor, has done a “great job” with affordable housing and hopes to see that progress continue.

“Syracuse is kind of on the cusp of some really big changes and growth,” she said.

Westcott resident Neil Burke said he’s “never missed an election” and emphasized the importance of exercising his right to vote to make sure it’s heard. When it comes to the Syracuse mayoral election, he said he voted based on the accessibility of the candidate’s political platform.

“I’m always ready to vote when I can, so I’m not sure it was a single-issue voter, but I was happy to be here, happy to take part,” Burke said.

Spanish teacher Madivette Fairbank said she believes people must show up and vote if they want change. She wants more support within city school districts from the incoming mayor. Fairbank also said she hopes to see increased funding for infrastructure and support for the community.

“I would like to see more support using money for things that we actually need, more unity and I just want things to be done,” Fairbank said.

The Onondaga County Board of Elections released an unofficial total voter count of 91,449 people, with polling locations across the county. As of 11:11 p.m., Sharon Owens has been elected the next mayor of Syracuse, according to unofficial Tuesday evening results from the OCBOE, earning over 13,000 votes.

Published on November 5, 2025 at 12:04 am