"Mayor" Alec Baldwin Not Even Gotham Voter

JUNE 8--In light of the Anthony Weiner disaster, actor Alec Baldwin is reportedly considering running for mayor of New York City now that the disgraced congressman/mayoral wannabe has apparently been mortally wounded by “Weinergate."

However, before forming that exploratory committee for the 2013 campaign to succeed Michael Bloomberg, the 53-year-old entertainer may want to consider actually registering to vote in the Big Apple.

Elections records show that Baldwin is currently registered to vote in Suffolk County, where he owns a secluded spread in tony Amagansett in the Town of East Hampton (about 100 miles from City Hall). Baldwin and Kim Basinger, then his wife, purchased the Hamptons property (seen at right) in 1996.

Board of Elections records show that Alexander R. Baldwin first registered to vote in September 1991 from a prior East Hampton address. He changed his registration to the Amagansett property in 1997. An elections board representative told TSG that, prior to 1991, Baldwin was registered to vote in California.

Baldwin, a voting history reveals, has voted 21 times since 1991, casting a ballot in every November general election (except 2009). Of those votes, Baldwin cast 15 via absentee ballot.

In a 1989 chat with Interview magazine, Baldwin explained that he changed his “legal residency” to Amagansett as part of a tax avoidance strategy. “I didn't want to pay any New York City income taxes, and not just because I wanted to save the money,” said Baldwin. “I thought, ‘Why should I pay another set of taxes to a government that isn't doing what I want it to do with the money?’”

During that interview--which took place during the Democratic primary race between incumbent Mayor Ed Koch and challenger David Dinkins--Baldwin claimed, “If Ed Koch gets reelected, I'm gonna move. Seriously.” Dinkins defeated Koch, sparing Baldwin exile from the city whose taxes he had schemed to avoid paying. (2 pages)