New York state lawmakers are expected to pass a bill this week consolidating many town- and county-level elections to even-numbered years, a move they hope will create momentum to do the same with New York City elections in the near future.
Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D-Westchester County) and Sen. James Skoufis (D-Orange County) announced on Wednesday that their bill would come to a vote before lawmakers end their legislative session in Albany later this week.
The measure, the Democratic lawmakers argue, would help boost voter turnout in local elections by aligning them with state and national elections — such as those for governor or president, which draw far more voters than local-only elections in odd years.
But Republicans have long fought back against the measure, claiming the election alignment is designed to boost Democrats since presidential elections are typically high-turnout events for New York Democrats. The state hasn’t backed a Republican since Ronald Reagan won a second term in 1984.
“What are you afraid of?” Skoufis said of the Republican criticism. “Why are you afraid of higher turnout? As it stands right now in a lot of these local town county elections, you have 20 or so percent of voters deciding the outcome for the entire jurisdiction. Why are you so afraid of 50, 60, 70% of voters determining who should hold these local positions?”
If it is signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the measure would be gradually phased in over a period of years. It would apply to offices like county executive and town supervisor, for which elections in many localities are held in odd-numbered years, opposite the presidential and statewide elections. But it would not apply to certain positions like district attorney and city-level elections — which are set by the state constitution.
It also doesn’t apply to villages, which generally hold elections in March.
Along with Republicans, the bill also drew opposition from the state Association of Counties, which lobbies for county governments across the state.
In a lengthy statement, the association’s President Michael Zurlo said grouping local-level elections with presidential races will stand to take the focus off of important local issues. He also questioned whether it would save counties money — at least in the short term, since some district attorney races would still be constitutionally required to be held in odd-numbered years.
“It has always been the right of local governments to determine the timing of their elections, as they are in the best position to determine what their residents prefer,” said Zurlo, the Clinton County administrator.
Paulin made clear she’s hoping the bill is the first step toward consolidating all elections — including those in New York City — in even-numbered years. She said the goal is to begin the process of changing the constitution next year.
“This is the first step,” she said. “The next step [is] changing elements to the constitution.”
Paulin and Skoufis’ announcement came as city lawmakers also discussed the prospect of moving elections to even-numbered years.
At a City Council government operations committee hearing on Wednesday, Committee Chair Sandra Ung heard testimony from staff at the city’s Campaign Finance Board, which recommended shifting the city’s elections to even-numbered years in its annual voter analysis report.
In January, an analysis by the nonpartisan good government group Citizens Union found the city could significantly boost voter turnout by aligning its municipal elections with either the presidential or gubernatorial races.
Among those who gave testimony was Frederick Schaffer, the current Campaign Finance Board chair and a member of the board of Citizens Union. He said the shift to even-numbered election years is about more than boosting turnout.
“When elections are held in even-numbered years, you not only get a higher turnout, but you get a somewhat different demographic,” said Schaffer. He said analysis by Citizens Union showed that in odd-numbered election years, the turnout was disproportionately white and older. He said cities turnout among younger voters and people of color is higher in cities shifted their elections to even-numbered years.
“I think that’s an important benefit as well as the higher turnout overall,” said Schaffer.
Changing the state constitution is a multiyear process, and requires passage by consecutively elected sessions of the state Legislature before it’s put to a statewide referendum.
The earliest that could happen is 2025.
Hochul, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that she hasn’t yet reviewed Paulin and Skoufis’ bill, which is set for a vote on Thursday or Friday. But she sounded supportive of its stated goal.
“If you’re talking about turnout, I would say having elections in the year when there’s more people turning out for either a presidential or a gubernatorial race, it increases turnout and more people voting in these elections is always better for democracy,” she said. “But I have not had a chance to look at the details.”
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