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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Schnall, Member of the Public, on even-year versus nonpartisan elections
1:09:40
·
3 min
Michael Schnall, a Staten Island resident with experience in city government and the 2022 redistricting commission, weighs the arguments for moving city elections to even-numbered years.
While acknowledging potential benefits like higher turnout, he raises concerns about voter fatigue, increased campaign costs, and focus shifting from local issues.
He ultimately advocates for nonpartisan elections as a more effective way to increase meaningful participation, arguing they remove party control over primaries, offer voters more genuine choices, and work well with ranked-choice voting.
- Even-year pros: Breaks Albany-NYC "revolving door," higher turnout, less BOE work in odd years.
- Even-year cons: Increased voter advertising fatigue, higher campaign costs, down-ballot races overshadowed, primarily a state issue.
- Argues nonpartisan elections better increase participation by removing party barriers.
- Nonpartisan elections give voters more choices, enhancing RCV's effectiveness.
- Favors empowering voters directly rather than changing election timing.
Michael Schnall
1:09:40
Even the chair of the jury and commissioners of the Charter Revision Commission, welcome to Staten Island.
1:09:45
My name is Michael Schnall.
1:09:46
I'm a resident of the West Brighton neighborhood on the North Shore Of Staten Island.
1:09:50
Thank you for holding this input session to hear from Staten Islanders about the important work of the commission and our thoughts on government reform.
1:09:56
By way of background, I'm a nonpracticing lawyer who worked in the New York City Council and Bloomberg administration.
1:10:02
I've worked in the nonprofit sector for ten years leading government affairs and community engagement.
1:10:07
I ran for New York City Council in 2021, and I was appointed by speaker Adams as the lone Staten Islander to the twenty twenty redistricting commission.
1:10:15
I wanted to talk about two items tonight.
1:10:17
First, even in odd municipal elections and then nonpartisan elections.
1:10:21
I applaud the commission for thinking long and hard about this issue.
1:10:24
If voting is the most basic responsibility of each citizen participating in our democracy, our city must work to find the lowest barriers of entry.
1:10:32
And at the time when our democracy is under assault, it's even more important for New York City to lead the way.
1:10:38
I split this out into pros and cons.
1:10:40
So the pros of even year voting is that it removes the revolving door between Albany and New York City.
1:10:46
Due to the logistical nature of even year state and federal elections and odd year city elections, This allows elected officials to swap seats, basically creating an incumbent protection program.
1:10:57
Presidential election years experience higher voter turnout, and New York City Board of Election will have much less work in odd years.
1:11:04
The cons of shifting from an odd year voting system is that voters are already bombarded by print and digital television advertising, causing confusion, frustration, and anger, and having hundreds of more candidates running for council, citywide seats just further adds to the problem.
1:11:20
The cost of advertising will raise higher, and the share of campaign expenses for advertising will become larger.
1:11:26
The changes to political terms will impact sitting elected officials.
1:11:31
What will the board of elections do in off years?
1:11:33
I'm not sure.
1:11:34
Consultants will be forced during odd years to shift to advocacy and lobbying, which will further blur the lines.
1:11:40
The whole end of this discussion, and it was mentioned before that this is really a state issue for our elect an issue for our state elected officials.
1:11:47
If this is the goal to increase turnout, I would suggest that we look at nonpartisan elections.
1:11:51
I'm gonna talk really fast if my time is almost over.
1:11:54
I strongly believe that the it is better to give more better candidates to increase voter participation.
1:12:00
The pros of a nonpartisan election is that it removes political parties from the process.
1:12:05
Why do we give insular groups of party members the re their decision vote to vote on who we should vote for?
1:12:12
Remove political parties from primaries altogether much like the April 29 race that Frank and Cliff are running in.
1:12:19
When voters have multiple choices in a an election, ranked choice voting becomes more important.
1:12:25
RCV tends to force candidates to run more civil campaigns as they jockey for endorsement for other candidates for a number two ranking.
1:12:33
And when general elections are no longer a choice between the lesser of two evils, voters will be motivated to turn out to vote for their favorite.
1:12:40
I see my time is up.
1:12:42
But in conclusion, I would trust the voters with the power to decide by providing open elect nonpartisan elections.
1:12:49
You're empowering more candidates to run without political party interference.
1:12:53
Thank you.