Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by John Ketcham from the Manhattan Institute on electoral reform
2:30:27
·
3 min
John Ketcham, Director of Cities at the Manhattan Institute, testifies in his personal capacity, commending the commission's proposals on housing and elections.
He suggests a modification to the even-year election proposal, arguing that local elections should coincide with gubernatorial years, not presidential years, to keep the focus on state and local issues.
He also supports the top-two open primary proposal, arguing the recent mayoral primary shows why the status quo is flawed, with the winner receiving support from less than 11% of all registered voters.
- Ketcham supports moving local elections to even years but recommends aligning them with gubernatorial elections to maintain a focus on state and local collaboration.
- He argues the current closed primary system is unrepresentative, pointing out the recent Democratic mayoral primary winner was supported by a small fraction of the total electorate.
- He believes a top-two primary with ranked-choice voting would incentivize candidates to appeal to a broader electorate.
- He suggests that internal party processes could determine which candidate receives the official party endorsement on the ballot.
John Ketcham
2:30:27
Thank you, chair Beury and members of the Charter Revision Commission for the opportunity to comment after the interim reports publication and for considering my prior testimonies.
2:30:36
I'm John Ketchum, director of cities at the Manhattan Institute, but I'm testifying in my own personal capacity.
2:30:43
I commend the commission's interim report for its proposals to facilitate housing production, move local elections to even years, and potentially to establish top two fully open primaries that utilize ranked choice voting.
2:30:56
I respectfully urge you to put these reforms before city voters this November.
2:31:00
Tonight, I wanna focus on two points related to electoral reform.
2:31:04
On on cycle, even your elections, I support the proposal, but I do note that local elections should coincide with years, not presidential years.
2:31:14
Many pressing local issues, including housing and homelessness, depend on local collaboration with Albany.
2:31:21
Holding mayoral and gubernatorial elections at the same time would allow candidates for these offices to speak to each other and to voters about how they would work together to address these issues.
2:31:33
This timing would also avoid the noise of presidential campaigns and allow voters to focus more intently on state and local issues while still turning out in far higher numbers compared to today.
2:31:44
We might call these New York, New York election years.
2:31:48
Second, the commission should let voters decide whether to restructure local primaries along the lines suggested in the interim report.
2:31:56
The recent Democratic primary for mayor shows why change is preferable to the status quo in many respects.
2:32:02
Though turnout improved to approximately 30.7% of registered Democrats by my account, about 1,780,000 registered voters were excluded from that election, including more than 1,000,000 unaffiliated voters.
2:32:16
Assembly member Mamdani now heads into November's general election as the front runner, having received the support of less than 11% of all registered voters.
2:32:25
And the same would have been true likely if governor Cuomo had won the primary.
2:32:30
Now we head into a general election scenario with up to five candidates.
2:32:33
The city risks electing a mayor with only a small and unrepresentative plurality.
2:32:39
Moving to a top two primary that uses bottom up ranked choice voting would ameliorate many of these issues.
2:32:44
All candidates would appear in the qualifying round primary open to all voters.
2:32:49
Candidates would thus have more incentive to appeal to a broader and more representative primary electorate.
2:32:55
Bottoms up RCV would successively eliminate the lowest performing candidate redistributing that candidate's ballots to the next ranked choices until only two remain.
2:33:06
This approach would make fuller use of RCB to select the two candidates who proceed to the general election with broader support, and importantly, it would not impact the way voters rank candidates.
2:33:16
And I commend the commission for proposing to include party labels in a reform system.
2:33:21
I again suggest that internal party preference processes determine which candidate bears the party's endorsement in the qualifying round and general election.
2:33:30
This would allow voters to understand that the party label implies institutional support, not mere registration.
2:33:36
Thank you for considering my testimony and for your efforts in this vital civic matter.
2:33:40
Thank
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:33:41
you so much.
2:33:42
Any questions for the panel?
2:33:47
Thank you both so much.
2:33:48
Deeply appreciate it.
John Ketcham
2:33:49
Thank you.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:33:49
Next is council member Brewer.