Tag Archives: local elections

More town, city, and county elections will be held during even-numbered years, after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new legislation on Friday.

The Democratic governor said in a statement that the move will “expand access to the ballot box and make it easier for New Yorkers to vote in local elections that impact their lives.” Hochul added that it will save taxpayers money by reducing administrative costs for communities. . . .

New York State Senate GOP Leader Rob Ortt swiftly voiced his opposition to the legislation.

“With total disregard for the bipartisan opposition to this proposal, Governor Hochul shamefully signed a bill that effectively ends local elections in New York State,” the North Tonawanda Republican said. “The touted benefits of this bill are a total sham concocted to hide the Democrat’s goal of expanding one-party control to every level of government.”

. . . Voter apathy was a concern addressed with this legislation, according to the governor’s office, which stated that 64 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2020 election, compared to just 25 percent in 2021.

Voting Rights Groups Settle Racial Gerrymandering Case in Florida

May 10, 2023, 4:47 amredistrictinglocal elections, racial gerrymander, settlementTabatha Abu El-Haj

Voting rights groups reach a settlement with Jacksonville City Council, which agreed to continue using maps ordered by a federal court that provide fair representation to Black communities through the next redistricting cycle after the 2030 Census. This largely settles the case Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP vs. City of Jacksonville, which sued the Jacksonville City Council for drawing maps that “packed” together Black communities and denied them a fair voice in local government. The case was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLU-FL) and the Election Law Clinic at Harvard Law School on behalf of local organizations including the Jacksonville NAACP Branch, the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville, the Northeast Chapter of the ACLU of Florida, Florida Rising and 10 individual residents.