Since the even-year election bill passed the state legislature in June, local opposition has been on the rise from different corners, including towns in Orange County.
The bill proposes to move most town and some county elections from odd years to even years and is just one step short of becoming law—Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.
Considered one of the most controversial bills of the year, it was trusted onto the Senate floor near the end of the legislative session and passed both chambers in mere days.
Republican Warwick Supervisor Mike Sweeton, who helms the largest town in the county, said his foremost concern with the bill was that it unfairly targeted towns.
The bill affects biennial town elections, plus county-level seats, except for sheriffs, county clerks, district attorneys, and judgeships; it does not affect elections in cities or villages (the only exception being villages that are coterminous with and operate principally as towns).
“So it seems targeted to town elections, and we object on that basis alone,” Mr. Sweeton told The Epoch Times.
Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis, the bill's prime sponsor, said during the floor debate that city elections and some county seats were left out of the bill only because changing them meant amending the state constitution and was a multi-year process.
He said the ultimate goal was to consolidate almost all local elections to coincide with state and national races to drive up voter turnout.
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A sign welcomes visitors to the Town of Warwick, N.Y., on Jan 12, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)[/caption]
Mr. Skoufis represents most of Orange County, except for the Montgomery and Newburgh areas.
However, during the debate, no bill was introduced in the state legislature this year to kick off that multi-year process, a point raised by several opposing lawmakers, including Mr. Sweeton.
As the president of the Orange County Association of Towns, Villages, and Cities, Mr. Sweeton sent a letter on behalf of members to Ms. Hochul to urge her not to sign the bill.
In the letter, he cited other concerns, such as voter drop-out in down-ballot races and local races being drowned out by state and federal ones.
“We know you came into public service as a local official, and you know the job that we all do to serve our community,” he wrote. “It is our fervent hope that you draw on this experience to acknowledge the negative effects this law would have on local government and veto this legislation.”
Town of Goshen Supervisor Joseph Betro told The Epoch Times that the bill equates to nationalizing local elections and mistakes higher voter turnout for greater participation in down-ballot races.
“When ballots have more contests on them, there is a significant drop-off, meaning the local races at the end of the ballot will be left blank,” Mr. Betro said.
Mr. Skoufis acknowledged the drop-off phenomenon during the floor debate but argued that it would be too marginal to zero out the increase in turnout.
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Goshen Town Hall at 41 Webster Avenue in Goshen, N.Y., on June 27, 2016. (Holly Kellum/The Epoch Times)[/caption]
However, Mr. Betro's biggest concern is that the legislation will bury local races under the excessive and polarized messaging of the state and national elections.
“In federal elections, sensitive issues are heavily advertised, motivating people to vote. But town offices have little say in these matters, and these subjects should not trickle down among communities where we are all neighbors [in an election year],” he said.
“Local elections should remain local,” he added.
This point is supported by Town of Newburgh Supervisor Gil Piaquadio.
Even though local race campaigning relies more on interpersonal messaging, the media bombarding of state and federal elections will still drown local issues through voter fatigue, according to Mr. Piaquadio.
“[The legislation] would make it difficult for the local candidates’ intentions and philosophy to reach the voters,” he said. “Odd-year elections for local candidates have been continuous for over one hundred years, and I am opposed to rescheduling them.”
Town of Woodbury Supervisor Thomas Burke told The Epoch Times that the bill would lead to greater voter turnout and higher participation in democracy.
“People do not come out to vote during the off years, but we do know people get involved in major elections,” Mr. Burke said. “This legislation is a win for voters because those who might show up for state and federal races but wouldn’t otherwise turn out for local elections will now have a voice in their local elections.
“Society and life overall continue to change and evolve, and I look forward to the governor’s consideration of the measure,” he said.
Higher voter turnout was cited as the primary reason behind the bill by Mr. Skoufis, who highlighted several supportive case studies during the floor debate.
“The proposed reforms encapsulated in this bill will generate a notable surge in civic engagement,” he told The Epoch Times. “By synchronizing local elections to even-number years, we are empowering voters.”
Cost savings through election consolidation was mentioned as another benefit during the floor debate, though some lawmakers argued to the contrary as the bill did not get rid of all odd-year elections, and lengthier ballots might even lead to higher costs.
The effective date for the proposed election changes is November 2025.