Voters in about a dozen communities across Onondaga County begin casting their ballots Saturday as early voting gets underway in this year’s primary elections. It’s likely to be the final odd-year local election.
The push moving most local elections to coincide with even-year state and federal elections has been the subject of hot debate and litigation. A state appeals court reversed a lower court decision last month, ruling the state’s 2023 law is constitutional. Onondaga County GOP elections commissioner Kevin Ryan said it’s a clear power grab.
"Odd year elections are important. And, I know the Democrats don't think so," Ryan said. "That's why they want to move all elections to even years to make it easier for them to win.”
Democratic elections commissioner Dustin Czarny said that's not the case.
“I feel bad that they feel that more people participating in government will mean that they will vote against them. I don't think that's necessarily the case," Czarny said. "What it will mean is a lot more people will be in competitive races and not have to worry about not only getting people to vote for them, but getting them to turn out. That is the thing that we have been fighting against forever, as people who are in favor of our democracy is these low turn out elections.”
Republicans like Kevin Ryan also counter that local elections will get lost at the bottom of the ballot.
“I worry that as we go forward, if in fact all elections are moved to even years, that a lot of these issues to be heard at the county legislature or town level are going to be lost in the noise of the bigger elections for president, for Congress, for state legislature," Ryan said. "But again, that's not something Democrats seem to concern themselves with.”
Dustin Czarny said more participation ultimately leads to better government.
“The facts are more people will be voting on these elections, and more citizens will have a say in their government. That's a good thing," Czarny said.
He said politicians of all stripes will need to make their case to the people, instead of just hoping the most dedicated voters turn out at the polls on certain years.
