Statement From Senator George Borrello on Measure to Move Local Elections to Even Numbered Years

ALBANY – Senator George Borrello issued the following statement today on Governor Hochul signing into law, legislation that will force local governments to move their elections to even-numbered years, placing them alongside elections for Senate, Assembly, statewide offices, Congress and president.  

“Just in time for Christmas, Democrats have delivered a lump of coal to New Yorkers in the form of another brazen effort to rig the political system in their favor.  

“Although they claim this will benefit local elections by placing them on the ballot in the high-turnout years of federal and state elections, the truth is that local candidates and issues will be totally overlooked as these higher-profile races suck all the oxygen from campaign season. So, while there may be more warm bodies in the polling places, many of those voters will, without a doubt, have little to no information or interest in local candidates. Instead, they will be voting blindly for parties, not people, in those local races. Is that a path to a healthy democracy? Most would say ‘no.’  

“No matter how they try to spin it, the goal of this maneuver is to give Democrats another political advantage. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, shameful schemes like this have become the new normal under One Party Rule.”