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Q&A
Discussion on the logistics and impact of shifting NYC elections to even years
0:37:46
·
6 min
Commissioner Diane Savino questions Grace Rauh and Ben Weinberg of Citizens Union about the implementation timeline and potential effects of moving municipal elections to even-numbered years.
Weinberg explains that transitions typically involve elected officials finishing their current terms, followed by a truncated term in the next odd-year election to align with the new even-year schedule; for NYC, this would likely mean a three-year term starting in 2029, leading to the first even-year mayoral election in 2032. Regarding concerns about local issues being overshadowed and ballot drop-off, Weinberg states that while longer ballots see some increased drop-off, the overall surge in turnout in even years far outweighs this, resulting in significantly more votes for down-ballot races compared to current odd-year elections.
Diane Savino
0:37:46
Hello, Grace and Ben.
0:37:47
Good to see you guys again.
0:37:48
So, generally, I understand the concept, and I think I was in Albany when we passed the first attempt at even your elections.
0:37:56
But I so I have a couple of questions.
0:37:59
How when if if we were to do this, because I agree with you.
0:38:01
If we're going to do it, we should put it on this year in the event that the legislature in Albany actually gets its act together and passes it in two consecutive sessions and the voters adopt it.
0:38:09
So we don't have to come back and do this again.
0:38:11
But when what would be the time frame for the implementation?
0:38:15
Because right now, we're on uneven years.
0:38:18
So who gets bumped?
0:38:20
I mean, have you guys thought that through?
Ben Weinberg
0:38:24
Yeah.
0:38:24
I can answer that.
0:38:26
We sorry.
0:38:28
There are various ways of doing that transition.
Kimberly Cruz
0:38:30
Mhmm.
Ben Weinberg
0:38:31
We've put cities and states around the country.
0:38:34
There isn't actually one specific trend.
0:38:36
Some cities shorten terms.
0:38:38
Some cities extend their terms.
0:38:40
The way the state has done it in the 2023 law, and that's also the provision that is being considered now for changing the state constitution, would essentially once passed, the moment that it is enacted Mhmm.
0:38:55
All all elected officials get to finish their term, which is a key element of this.
0:39:00
So you don't wanna cut any elected officials' term in the middle.
0:39:05
Then you have you hold another all year election after that legislation is enacted, and that the people who run-in that all year elections run for a truncated term.
0:39:16
So you either shorten the term by you usually shorten the term by one year.
0:39:21
It depends on the length of the term.
0:39:22
In New York City, you'll shorten it by one year.
0:39:25
So if the process plays out the way we describe it in 2029, candidates would want for a three year term that will finish in 2032.
0:39:36
So we'll have our first, let's say, mayoral even your election in 2032 for four years.
Diane Savino
0:39:41
Okay.
0:39:41
Would would we or the state have to change term those terms statutorily because terms of officer statute.
Ben Weinberg
0:39:48
Right.
Diane Savino
0:39:49
So so we we pass the odd even year approval.
0:39:54
Right?
0:39:54
So in the event it happens, we're able to move forward Yeah.
0:39:57
Quickly.
0:39:58
Then we pick the year it would start, the offices that would be affected, and then the state legislature and or this or the city would we would have to change our local election laws to be able to shorten the time the the term that I'm say I'm currently sitting.
Ben Weinberg
0:40:12
Yeah.
Diane Savino
0:40:12
So if I had a four year term, now I only serve a three year term, and now I go on that.
0:40:15
So we so it requires some other legislation.
Ben Weinberg
0:40:17
Yeah.
0:40:17
Well, it it depends how you draft it.
0:40:20
Mhmm.
Diane Savino
0:40:21
You're doing the I'm sorry not to interrupt you.
0:40:23
You mean if if they if the constitutional amendment was drafted, it could it could address those issues?
Ben Weinberg
0:40:28
Yeah.
0:40:28
The way the there are a couple of, bills, I mean, all many consider.
0:40:33
The way they're drafted is that a constitutional amendment would just change the language in a constitution that says even or odd.
0:40:39
Mhmm.
0:40:40
And then in implementing state law, like companionship bill Right.
0:40:45
Would would lay out the mechanism for transition that resort in existence.
Diane Savino
0:40:51
And I think finally, the last question, because I know there are some there are some people who are concerned mostly in local governments, counties, etcetera, that shifting it from the everything to an even year election where voter turnout is driven largely by the top of the ticket.
0:41:07
That's where most of the money is spent on the presidentials and or gubernatorial races that the local issues get lost, that nobody pays attention to who your local alderman is or your council person or your state assembly person.
0:41:19
And and I I think I shared at one of the previous hearings having been at the bottom of the ballot in a presidential year myself over the years, like, often we would develop a campaign strategy to tell people to vote from the bottom up because there is a huge amount of drop off from the top of the ticket.
0:41:34
How do we how do we prevent that, or is there evidence in other states where they have adopted this even year election where the whole I guess, the the hope is that you'll drive voter turnout.
0:41:45
Are we seeing a drop off from the top of the ticket, particularly at the local level, or has it improved voter turnout and and then improved voter, I guess, participation all the way down the ballot?
0:41:55
And if you don't know that answer, that's fine, but I really would be interested to see how that's affected those those candidates.
Ben Weinberg
0:42:00
Yeah.
0:42:02
So we we do know the answer for that because that's one of the first Yeah.
0:42:06
We review this topic because that that is concerning.
0:42:09
So the truth is that we see dollar on the country.
0:42:12
Longer ballots get higher drop off.
0:42:15
That's, like, an undisputable.
0:42:19
However, because we face such low turnout in audio election now, the benefits you get by moving to even years is much larger than the increase in in drop off by moving to even years.
0:42:32
So in that sense, even the races for state senate or state assembly or, like, the down ballot races today in even years receive much, much, much higher turnout than their parallel races in in the odd year.
0:42:47
So we have some numbers actually in the testimony from other cities.
0:42:51
You know, Baltimore, we saw an increase of about 18,000 voters in an 18,000 drop off increasing drop off, but an increase of about 200,000 voters overall for that same race.
0:43:07
That is a down ballot race.
0:43:09
And even today, if you look at the down ballot races in an even year so last year, we had we had several proposals on the ballot.
0:43:18
Right.
0:43:19
Prop number one in a presidential year, we looked at, like, the turnout for that proposal, not for the president.
0:43:26
That was 51%.
0:43:27
For president, it was about 59%.
0:43:31
So that's that's, you know, 8% drop off.
0:43:34
It's not small amount of drop off.
0:43:36
But 51% for the ballot proposal number one on the back of the ballot is still more than two times the number of people who voted for the mayor of the largest city of of in the country in an odd number of years.
0:43:49
So even today, those down ballot races receive much, much, much more voter attention than the kind of high profile races in the odd year.
Diane Savino
0:44:00
Thank you.