Dozens of local officials oppose "Hochul" control of elections (Updated with correction/clarifications)

                                                                                         

Local elected officials from both Nassau and Suffolk gathered on an Oyster Bay beach today to denounce a little-known bill pending in Albany that would move town and county elections from odd-numbered years to even-number years.

The officials, mostly Republican but some Democrats, said the bill being pushed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Albany Democratic majority, will kill local control by merging the suburban and rural races with presidential, gubernatorial and state issues.

Interestingly, solidly blue New York City is exempted from the bill.

 The elected representatives at the rally included the usual Nassau officials, including Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino and Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, but also Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine, Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter and Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth, the Nassau Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello, and Suffolk Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey.

Yes, those are all Republicans.

But Democrats were also represented, including former Oyster Bay Supervisor Lew Yevoli and Hempstead Town Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby. 

(What? Goosby, the senior councilwoman and civil rights activist is now the first African American Deputy Supervisor in the town's history? More on that in another post.)

Suffolk Legis. Manuel Esteban delivered his remarks in Spanish.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman hosted the event.

As several of the local officials noted, if the bill is approved, town and county officials would appear on the second or third page of the ballot, somewhere around Line 35. 

How many voters get that far into the ballot?

After Democrats got walloped in last November's local elections, the officials said the new bill is intended to get more Democratic voters out and regain control of the state outside of New York City.

At the same time these officials spoke out, so did New York State and Nassau Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs, who sent an email urging Democratic state lawmakers to vote for the bill.

Don't believe Republicans, Jacobs said, contending they want to suppress minority vote by using "culture wars" with national and state issues to confuse local voters. (see email below).

"How can anyone argue that holding elections when more people will vote is bad for democracy?" Jacobs argues.  

But there is no doubt that national issues are clouding Democratic races this fall, including soaring inflation, supply shortages and increasing crime, while Democratic President Joe Biden's approval ratings fall off a cliff.

Blakeman said local elections have been held in odd years in New York for over 100 years.* (see correction below)

 

"They're trying to obscure local government," Blakeman said. "This is nothing more than a blatant attempt to centralize control of government in Albany. Again with secrecy, without transparency, without contacting one elected official here today, there is a bill pending that I am told has a lot of support from the governor and the city of New York.

 

"It is an attack against the suburbs. It is an attack against the rural counties and towns of this state. We stand here united to say we are not going to take this lying down."

 

Saladino, like the other officials, urged voters to contact their state representatives to vote against the change. "We’ve had it with Albany telling us what to do. State law makers are on a clear mission to attack the suburban and anyone else who doesn’t agree with their dangerous agenda."

 

Clavin referenced Jacobs' email. "Boss Tweed Jay Jacobs was sending out emails to all members of the Assembly trying to influence the vote.

 

"This is wrong. This is stealing the suburban vote," Clavin said.

 

"It really comes down to one thing, we want local control, not Hochul control."

 

Goosby also took a swipe at Jacobs, referring to past battles with the party leader.

 

"He told me something to do and I said to him, 'I only had one father and he didn't look like you.'"

Goosby added, "I"m still here Jay,  I wish you would stop what you’re doing because you’re messing up this country."

 

The bill, if approved and signed by Hochul, it would take effect "immediately."

Not clear what that means. Local officials currently have varying terms. Would that mean that every local elected official will have to run this November, because it's an even year. What about elections planned for next year? Would the elected officials be entitled to another year in office until 2024?

 

Here is Jacobs' email:

 

From: Jay Jacobs

Sent: Friday, May 27, 2022 9:54 AM
To: Jay Jacobs Subject: Change of Election Year Voting Bill

Dear Assembly Member;

I am writing to ask for your support for the Bill carried by Assembly member Amy Paulin (A-8560c) to change the date of TOWN and COUNTY elections from odd years to even years.  No other governmental entity is impacted or effected.  The decision to do it or not to do it requires the answer to only one simple question: is it better to have more people vote for and choose their local (town & county) governments or is it better to have less people vote?

The rationale for the Bill: In my county and in most places (if not all) across the state, if you compare voter turnout in odd-year elections versus even-year elections you will see that in odd years turnout varies from 24% to a high of 32% (rarely that high – usually high 20s) while in even years the turnout varies from a low in the mid 40s to a high nearing 70%.  There are no examples – NONE – where odd year election turnout is higher than even year.  Moreover, minority turnout ALWAYS underperforms substantially in odd years and recovers greatly in even years.  How can anyone argue that holding elections when more people will vote is bad for democracy?  Republicans say that this bill “disenfranchises” voters.  I think they need to reference a dictionary.  How is getting 50% more people out to vote on something “disenfranchising” anyone?

The Republicans argue that putting local elections with state and federal elections will only blur the attention of voters on the important local issues and allow national issues to dominate the vote.  Are THEY kidding?  That’s all Republicans do!  What did Bail Reform and all of the state and federal issues Republicans unfairly attacked us with have to do with our County Executive, Laura Curran who lost her race this year ?  What did driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants have to do with our Legislature – a key Republican attack several years ago?  And what does Critical Race Theory have to do with our next local election – and we see that Republicans are laying the groundwork now for that!  You name it – Republicans have ALWAYS used culture wars, national issues (see what they’re saying about gas prices and inflation) and state issues to confuse voters in EVERY election – including local elections.  NOW they’re sensitive to it?

Across the United States, in state after state, where Republicans are in control, they enact restriction after restriction to suppress the vote.  And whose vote do they want to suppress?  Democratic vote.  Minority vote.  Anyone but “their” vote.  In Washington, Republicans blocked the John Lewis voting reforms to broaden access.  Here Democrats want to broaden – not hinder or restrict – EVERYONE’S access.  More Democrats will vote AND more Republicans will vote.  What are these NY Republicans afraid of?  Apparently, they are scared that if they are up for election they might not see the same level of success that they have had which has allowed them to control local governments in rural and suburban counties across the state.

I believe that Democrats need to do whatever we can do to expand voting, grow democracy and enact laws that INCREASE voter turnout – particularly minority turnout – wherever we can.  This is just that opportunity.  It’s time to stop always playing defense and losing ground. It’s time to make up ground.

I am asking that you please support Amy Paulin’s bill (A-8560c).

I maintain that when it comes to voting and elections, if the Republicans don’t like it you know that we must be doing something right!

I would be happy to discuss this with you if you’d like.  Please either email me back or call my cell phone listed below.

Thank you. 

Jay

Jay Jacobs

 

*Update. A reader said Blakeman was wrong about county executive elections; Until 1973, county executives had three-year terms, which meant they ran in even-numbered years every other race. That was changed at the urging of the late, powerful Nassau Republican Chairman Joe Margiotta to help Republicans win the county, the reader said. That sounded likely, but it was difficult to find on an internet search.

However, a New York Times article from 1973 also reported that county executive terms changed that year from three years to four years.

Another reader notes that Jacobs says the law will only affect town and county election dates. "No other governmental entity is impacted or effected," he wrote.

But the Assembly bill is headed by this: "An act to amend the election law, the town law and the village law in relation to moving certain elections to even-number years."

It says it doesn't apply to villages that don't already have their elections in November. No Nassau villages have November election dates, but still, this bill is very murky.

The only thing that seems  clear is the bill says that any currently serving incumbent local official shall complete their  their full term. 

But then it gets muddy again.

 It says that any county town or village official that is elected in an odd-number year after the bill becomes effective "shall have their term expire as if such official were elected at the previous general election held in an even- number year; provided however in no event shall expirations occur later than Dec. 31 of such following year."

Good luck understanding that.

Here is a link to the Assembly bill:  https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A08560&term=2021&Summary=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y

And one more clarification.

Another reader pointed out that North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena also attended the news conference. DeSena is a registered Democrat who won last November running as a Republican.