Election Day Podcast Special: The Queens Machine

When voters go to the polls, they're presented with a choice. But who decides who has access to the ballot? What resistance might newcomers to the political system encounter from party establishment as they seek public office? WNYC's Brian Lehrer and City Hall reporter Brigid Bergin take you into the proverbial "smoke-filled room" to find out what it really takes to win an election in New York.

This story is part of a WNYC multimedia project called The People’s Guide to Power, which came out of the wave of activism that followed the 2016 presidential election. Get an even closer look at how government works in our region — and how it doesn’t. See video and hear the stories of people who chose to get involved — some with more luck than others. And learn how you can take some first steps into the fray.