The Borough President is a political office present within each of New York's five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx), serving as the chief executive of borough government.  Although the office has lost a lot of the power that it used to have, it remains an influential force within the boroughs and city government on borough-specific issues and is mostly responsible for advising the city on matters of special concern within their boroughs.

Borough Presidents are elected borough-wide to a term of four years with a limit of two consecutive terms.

The primary duties of the Borough President include, but are not limited to:

• Submitting recommendations to the Mayor for the city’s annual expense and capital budgets
• Renders advisory opinions on Land-Use issues
• Can propose legislation in the City Council
• Can recommend capital projects performed in the borough and monitors capital work
• Monitors city contracts performed in the borough
• Appoints all members of community boards, though half the members of each board are nominated by local City Council Member(s)
• Can hold public hearings on matters of public interest
• Serves as an ex oficio member of various boards
• Can convene task forces to address issues in the borough, such as the closure of Rikers Island
• Operates a Borough Board that oversees service delivery in each borough
• Makes appointments to certain boards, including the NYC Planning Commission and the NYC Panel for Education Policy
• Prepares an annual strategic policy statement for the borough

The City Council is the legislative body of New York City government, comprised of City Council members that represent the 51 constituent council districts that make up the entirety of the city.  The City Council is responsible for implementing new laws and approving major changes to the city's government, and it is here that voters can arguably make the most difference by speaking to the Council, its committees, and by extension the entire city.  As the lawmaking body of the city,

Council members are normally elected to a four-year term, but in every 20-year cycle there are two, two-year terms, which is intended to allow for redistricting within the city following a Census. Members are restricted to two consecutive full four-year terms; two, two-year terms count as one four-year term, and partial terms—such as when a person is elected to the Council by special election—do not count as a full term. A Council Member, like the Mayor, may run for their seat again if a full term has elapsed since leaving office

The primary duties of the City Council include, but are not limited to:

• Approves the city budget proposed by the Mayor
• Can make or repeal city-wide laws
• Can override Mayoral vetoes
• Approves land-use changes like re-zonings and can override Mayoral vetoes of those;
• Oversees and investigates city agencies and programs; has subpoena power
• Has the power of advice and consent over certain Mayoral appointments to some city boards and commissions including the: NYC Board of Standards and Appeals, NYC Conflicts of Interest Board, NYC Board of Health, Environmental Control Board, NYC Planning commission, Civil Service Commission, Landmarks Preservation Commission, Art Commission, Tax Commission, Taxi and Limousine Commission
• Has some powers of appointment - for instance, Councilmembers nominate half the members of each community board and the Speaker appoints members of certain city boards;
• NYC Council members belong to both borough delegations and caucuses within the Council that include: Black, Latino and Asian Caucus; Irish Caucus; Jewish Caucus; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus; Progressive Caucus; Women’s Caucus
  

The District Attorneys (DA) is a borough-wide position found in all five of New York's boroughs, who broadly serve as the "people's" attorney.  The DA is responsible for a variety of legal functions, though they are best known for prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the people of New York.  The DAs work closely with the New York Police Department (NYPD) and other law organizations to help construct criminal cases against criminals of all stripes, though they have special interest in large criminal organizations that threaten the peace of all New Yorkers.

District Attorneys are elected from each borough for a term of four years and are not restricted by term-limits. Brooklyn and Manhattan District Attorneys are elected in the same year as citywide municipal offices like Mayor and Comptroller, while the DAs for the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island are on a different cycle.

The primary duties of a District Attorney include, but are not limited to:

• Protecting the public by investigating and prosecuting criminal conduct
• Working with the NYBD to determine whether to bring criminal charges and prosecute criminal cases in court
• Handling criminal appeals at all levels of state and federal courts
• Prosecuting forfeiture proceedings
• Extradites criminals from outside the state
• Working with victims of crime
• Holds power to form and create task forces such as the Protecting Immigrant New Yorkers Task Force (PINY), Construction Fraud Task Force and others
  

Judges encompass the third branch of government and provide a check on the executive and legislative branches. Judges are the individuals who decide both civil and criminal disputes, often with the help of a jury, using the law to render a decision that equal to law.  Local and state judges have an important role in the justice process because, while they may rely on a jury to reach a verdict, it is the judge that gives the sentance or nuances of the decision - they are the ones who decide how much time a criminal serves, parole eligibility, and so forth.  While the judiciary is imperfect, it is important to remember that they ultimately serve the law, and to make sure that the law is applied justly and fairly to all people.

Each year, there are judicial elections within New York City and State, but not in each district.  New York's judicial districts have their own election cycles and because all New Yorkers belong in multiple judicial districts, sometime these cycles coincide or sometimes they are staggered annually. Certain courts in New York are not directly elected by the people, but are instead appointed by sitting executive officials.



The Court of Appeals, sitting in Albany and consisting of seven judges, is the state’s highest court. The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court is the principal intermediate appellate court. The New York State Supreme Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in civil cases statewide and in criminal cases in New York City. Outside New York City, the 57 individual County Courts hear felony criminal cases. There are a number of local courts in different parts of the state, including the New York City Civil Court and New York City Criminal Court. Judges of the Court of Appeals are appointed by the Governor with advice and consent of the Senate upon recommendation of the Commission on Judicial Nomination. All other justices are elected with the exception of those of the NYC Criminal Courts, NYC Family Court, and some other city courts, which are appointed by the Mayor.