Is it malign to realign ?

[Killjoy]

The State of New York's state government has contrived to "align" a portion of local elections so that they will fall on even years only in order to be held at the same time as statewide and federal elections.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-york/articles/2023-12-22/new-york-governor-signs-bill-aligning-local-elections-with-statewide-races

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s governor has signed into law a bill changing the state’s election calendar so that more local elections are timed with statewide races.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the legislation signed Friday will help boost voter turnout by moving many local county and town elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years, which is when statewide and legislative races are held.

SSRNY** off-year elections are known for low turnout. Frankly, I feel this has more to do with the fact that districts at all levels are so severely gerrymandered that more often than not candidates run unopposed than that it's too much of a pain for people to show up to vote. Last time I voted for local officials I felt so much like I was looking at some Soviet-style ballot intended merely to rubber-stamp a bunch of party apparatchiks that I wrote my own name in for every office just out of spite.

Further justification for the law is that it will save money to hold fewer elections, and prevent "voter fatigue" - which I suppose suggests that people's poor little pea-sized brains can't handle thinking about too many of the issues related to why they might vote for whom, etc. on a greater number of occasions. Plus- more "people of color" involved, so evidently it's win-win-win, in some eyes at least.

Voting rights groups said the new law, which takes effect in 2025, will help save taxpayer dollars and prevent voter fatigue by avoiding the need for holding elections every year. It will also lead to increased voter turnout among communities of color, they said.

“This bill will bring more voters into the political process, including young voters and voters of color, and avoid extremely low turnout and unrepresentative results in local elections,” Sam Oliker-Friedland, executive director of the Institute for Responsive Government, said in a statement

I find it difficult to argue with the concept of saving money - except of course that the gov't. of SSRNY** will almost certainly just find ways to fritter away whatever isn't spent on "un-necessary" elections. It's what they do. Still, if you're already filling out a ballot of some sort to elect federal or state officials, why not just tick off Joe Shmoe and/or Jane Doe for county/city/town offices as well ?

Of course, not everyone is happy with this effort to make our lives more efficient, happy and fulfilling...

Republicans complain the new law tips the scales in favor of the Democratic Party that controls the state.

Local election officials, including the New York State Association of Counties, argued local races would get lost amid higher-profile state and federal contests on the ballot.

Leave it to those mean old Elephantitis Party so-and-so's to find fault with the esteemed Donkey Cult's overflowing benevolence. The pachyderm patrol should probably concentrate on the battle to avoid allowing the hee-haw crowd to redraw SSRNY's** congressional districts as they see fit in order to win back control of the house, IMHO. All the local races they win are held in areas they've endeavored to carve into party preserves of loyal constituents who are going to faithfully vote for whoever happens to have an 'R' beside their name. Can't see that changing because of this.

My main gripe about this whole business was that New Jack City got a pass on it. A lot of people already harbor the idea that we should excise the Rotten Apple from the rest of the state without giving them more fuel for their foolery. Don't get me wrong - it's a fanciful notion I chuckle over every now & again myself. Can't see it ever happening, though.
However... Just when I thought The City So Nice, They Named It Twice was giving the rest of us poor peasants the proverbial shaft-a-roony...

The law doesn't affect elections not under the state legislature's oversight, which includes judicial races and elections for New York City offices

But Hochul, a Democrat, said she also supports changing those elections through a state constitutional amendment.

Should be interesting to see what Gotham officials have to say about it if it comes to that.



**Soviet onSocialist Republik of New York - my pet name for the Empire State.