Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rachel Fauss, Senior Policy Advisor for Reinvent Albany, on election reforms including even-year elections and top-four primaries
1:51:06
·
3 min
Rachel Fauss, Senior Policy Advisor for Reinvent Albany, testifies in favor of major changes to the NYC voting process, advocating for moving city elections to even years and implementing a top-four open primary system that uses ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the general election.
She argues that moving elections to even years would send a strong message to Albany and increase turnout.
Fauss praises RCV's current success in the Democratic primary and notes that NYC is unusual in using RCV only for primaries and not general elections.
- Reinvent Albany's preferred model is a top-four open primary, which they believe would cut the number of general election candidates while ensuring those who advance have substantial support and can engage in substantive debate.
- They assert this is legal without state law changes.
Rachel Fauss
1:51:06
Hi.
1:51:06
Good evening.
1:51:07
My name is Rachel Faust.
1:51:08
I'm the senior policy adviser for Reinvent Albany.
1:51:11
We advocate for transparent, accountable New York government and fact based public policy.
1:51:16
Today, we are testifying in favor of major changes to the New York City voting process that take full advantage of ranked choice voting, RCV, and recognize the clear trend toward New York City voters registering unaffiliated with a party.
1:51:30
A trend that will accelerate if New York's long delayed automatic voter registration is finally implemented.
1:51:36
Specifically, we support moving New York City Elections to even years.
1:51:40
And I would echo what a previous speaker said and say that putting it on the ballot and having New York City voters approve it would send a very strong message to Albany.
1:51:49
And we also support top four general election and open primary using ranked choice voting.
1:51:55
Reinvent Elbany strongly supports RCV and its basic goal of reducing vote splitting and spoilers, increasing voter choice, and ensuring that the selection of candidates with broad bases of support.
1:52:06
Tomorrow, June 24 is primary day, and so far ranked choice voting is working as intended in the Democratic Party primary for mayor.
1:52:14
There's a broad field of candidates and they're cross endorsing each other and forming informal alliances and that we believe that's a positive dynamic encouraged by many of the candidates being endorsed by the same minor party.
1:52:26
Much as we are happy to have it, New York City's adoption of ranked choice voting in 2019 was more a triumph of political compromise and negotiation than an election logic, though we would note there was an obvious financial logic to ending costly low turnout runoff elections.
1:52:40
Of the dozens of local governments across The US using RCV, New York City is the only one to use it solely in the primary and then switch to a first pass the post voting system in the general election.
1:52:52
The overwhelming share of local governments using the RCV have one single election.
1:52:58
So we have previously testified in favor of a number of different ways to improve New York City election process, including semi open primaries.
1:53:07
We still support that as an incremental improvement, especially if it includes a sore loser provision.
1:53:13
However, our clear favorite is an open primary whose top four vote getters advanced to the general election.
1:53:20
We note that over the last five general elections, New York City has averaged just under 10 candidates for mayor on the general election ballot.
1:53:27
Thus, top four would, on average, cut the number of candidates on the general election ballot in half.
1:53:33
Because all four candidates on the general election ballot are emerging from an open primary using ranked choice voting, it's highly likely all would have a substantial body of public support and be able to engage in substantive debate.
1:53:45
The city's leading election law authorities confirm that New York City may move to a top four system without changes to state law.
1:53:52
And similarly, it would be legal for the city to cancel primaries in any contest where four or fewer candidates file.
1:54:00
I see I'm running out of time, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, and you'll have our written testimony as well.