(The Center Square) — New York’s highest court on Thursday upheld a two-year-old state law that will move most local elections to even-numbered years to align with state and federal races.
The ruling by the New York Court of Appeals clears the way for the state election officials to move local elections outside of New York City to even-numbered years starting this year, with exceptions for some city or village elections, races for county clerk, sheriff, district attorneys and local judges.
The ruling ends a protracted legal fight over the Even Year Election Law, signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2023, after Republicans sued to block the election changes from going into effect.
Hochul praised the ruling as a “victory for democracy and all New Yorkers” saying the new law will “make the state stronger” because “more people have the opportunity to make their voices heard.”
“By aligning local elections with the state and federal calendar, we’re making it easier for New Yorkers to participate in government,” the Democrat said in a statement. “At a time when voting rights are under attack across the nation, New York is proudly moving in the opposite direction.”
A group of Republicans filed a lawsuit seeking to block the law shortly after Hochul signed the legislation. In 2024, a state judge sided with them, ruling that the changes conflict with the state’s constitution and risk confusing voters with state, local and federal issues and candidates on the same ballot. A lower state appellate court overturned the ruling, but the plaintiffs appealed.
But the seven-member appeals panel rejected arguments from critics of the law, saying the law doesn’t violate the state constitution or “unduly burden” local voters.
The justices called the measure a “neutral law which changes the timing of elections in a manner common to all voters, and imposes no form of restriction, burden or limitation on voting.”
State Sen. James Skoufis, D-Cornwall, a primary sponsor of the bill, welcomed the ruling and said it means “critical” local offices such as county executive and town supervisor won’t be decided by “a small minority of voters.”
“The only disappointment has been watching some elected officials wage a senseless crusade to protect the status quo, low-turnout elections that won them office,” Skoufis said in a statement. “Over a million dollars of taxpayer money was lit on fire in pursuit of a political outcome, a reckless decision that prevents any of these elected officials from ever again calling themselves ‘fiscally responsible.’
“If they had any decency, they would reimburse taxpayers from their sizable campaign accounts,” he added.
