Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Maury Thompson, Special to The Chronicle
The State Assembly and Senate have passed a bill to move most local and county elections, now held in odd-numbered years, to even-numbered years coinciding with state and federal elections.
Gov. Hochul has until Dec. 31 to either sign or veto the legislation, or let it become law without her signature.
If the legislation, which applies to municipalities outside New York City, becomes law, local officials elected to two year-terms in November would serve only one year before running for re-election in 2024 to a new term.
Local and some county candidates elected to four-year terms would run for re-election in 2026.
The shortened one-year and three-year terms would be a one-time occurrence.
City mayoral and Common Council elections would remain in odd years, as would elections for county clerk, sheriff and district attorney, under the legislation. Moving county clerk, sheriff and district attorney races to even-numbered years would require a constitutional amendment, according to the New York State Association of Counties, which in a Nov. 21 news release urged Hochul to veto the legislation.
“We didn’t hear any local governments calling for this change,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario.
State Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, says, “I don’t see one positive aspect of this bill.” He voted against the legislation and earlier this fall distributed an op/ed essay to newspapers urging Hochul to veto the legislation.
Supporters of the change say it would increase turnout by having the elections the same year as Congress, state legislature and either governor or president.
“Getting someone out in a local election year is difficult,” said Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher. “I think consolidating it will make it easier for the voter.”
Warren County voter turnout was 39% this year and 26% in 2021, compared with 65% in 2022 and 80% in 2020, according to the county Board of Elections.
Opponents say the change would bring more partisan politics into local elections, and it would be cumbersome for boards of elections to manage all of the elections the same year.
“The local issues are going to become secondary to the state and national issues,” said Warren County Republican Chairman Tim McNulty, who is the Queensbury 4th Ward Councilman.
He said the Queensbury Town Board passed a resolution opposing moving local elections to even-numbered years.
“Local candidates already have a hard time getting their issues out to the voters,” said Assemblyman Simpson.
Running in the same years as state and national candidates will make that even more difficult, and also will make it more difficult for local and county candidates to raise campaign funds, when they have to compete with state and national candidates, he said.
Mrs. Boecher, the county Democratic chairwoman, countered that local elections are already influenced heavily by national partisanship.
“By consolidating these there would be less confusion and more uniform design,” she said. “I think it would make it easier for the voters.”
Assemblyman Simpson said there would be no cost savings from moving local and country elections because elections for Supreme Court judges, city officials and some county offices would still be held in odd-numbered years.
The New York State Association of Counties suggested that the Legislature does not have the authority to move local elections to even-numbered years.
“Regardless of increased or decreased turnout, the legislation violates constitutionally protected home rule powers by preempting county charters, local laws, local referenda, and forcing short-term changes to the term of an elected official,” it said in a resolution.
Statewise public interest advocacy group Citizens Union on Nov. 15 urged Gov. Hochul to sign the legislation.
“Low voter turnout in last week’s off-year election demonstrates the need to consolidate local elections with higher-profile races that see higher turnout,” its executive director Betsy Gotbaum said in the news release.
“Moving local elections to even-numbered years will engage more voters and make the electorate more representative of the population. We urge Governor Hochul to sign legislation to move county and town elections to even-numbered years, a move that will strengthen local democracy across the state.”
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