A former Cheektowaga Town Board candidate claims the town’s voting system prevents minority candidates from being elected and is urging officials to consider making a change.
Ken Young, a Black resident who campaigned as a Democrat for a spot on the board this past election cycle, wants the Town Board to implement a ward system for voting and impose a two-term limit for board members. He laid out his claims in a notice he filed with the town last week under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York.
Cheektowaga’s elections are all at large, meaning the officials whom residents elect represent the entire town. This is different from the City of Buffalo, for example, whose Common Council members each represent one of nine districts in the city.