To the Editor:
The undersigned Democratic county elections commissioners sent the following letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul in support of Assembly Bill 4284-B (Paulin)/Senate Boll 3505-B (Skoufis), urging her to sign it:
We are writing today to strongly support the enactment of the above referenced legislation. What has commonly been referred to as the “Even Year Elections” bill was passed by the New York state Legislature in June and awaits the governor’s signature. We rise today as individual commissioners to encourage the governor to sign this legislation as soon as possible and enact it into law.
The scourge of low turnout has plagued elections in the so-called “odd years” for generations. Throughout our state, elections in odd years have significantly less turnout. “Odd-year” elections throughout the state routinely feature 50% to 70% less turnout. The problem is getting worse, not better. Elections in 2021 and 2023 rank as some of the lowest turnout elections in recent memory.
In the age of election denialism and attacks on our democracy, it is important that we do everything we can to bolster the right of the public to elect leaders that reflect the makeup of our state. Holding elections in high-turnout years will ensure that elected leaders reflect the electorate they are sworn to serve. Scheduling elections in high-turnout years is not just a benefit for voters, but potentially for candidates, as well. Odd-year elections are rife with uncontested offices. Higher turnout elections will create more competitive races which will encourage more candidates to run for office.
We acknowledge that there may be technical hurdles that the Boards of Elections must face, but we believe that can be overcome. The authors of the bill have wisely rolled out the shift to even years between 2026 and 2030. This will give us time to work with vendors and the State Board of Elections to adjust our processes and political calendars. Furthermore, we can work with the…
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