County and city offices go to elections in even years; Go Bisons!

For those who pay a modicum of attention to politics, you may be familiar with the rhythm of the four-year election cycle built around the major positions on the ballot. Start with 2020 – presidential election with Congress and the state legislature. 2021 – election of mayor and dozens of local offices. 2022 – Gubernatorial election with CongAlbanyress and the state legislature. 2023 – Erie County Executive as well as dozens of local offices.

Last year, Albany decided to change that. Legislation has been approved to significantly change election cycles in New York State affecting most county and city offices. The general intention is to hold almost all county and city elections in the same years as gubernatorial and presidential elections. The law’s sponsors had the stated goal of increasing voter participation in state and local elections, because gubernatorial and presidential elections attract much greater turnout. Opponents of the law suggest it will bury local elections at the bottom of the ballot, where interest in voting is sometimes reduced.

For reference, here is the total turnout rate in Erie County over the last four-year cycle:

• 2020 – 476,913 votes
• 2021 – 237,182
• 2022 – 346,087
• 2023 – 204,883

Here’s how the law will work:

“A county elected official or city elected official… elected and serving on or after January 1, 2025, shall complete his or her full term as established by law. Provided, however, that if the completion of such full term results in the need for an election in an odd year after January 1, 2025, the county or city representative elected at such election shall have his term of office expires as if such official had been elected in the previous general election held in an even year.

In Erie County, the county executive, county comptroller, county legislators and all municipal offices would be required to conduct elections in even-numbered years. This means that county legislative and municipal offices with two-year terms up for election in 2025 will be elected to one-year terms, followed by elections for regular two-year terms beginning in 2026. The law will require candidates for Erie County comptroller and municipal offices for four-year terms, such as supervisors whose terms expire in 2025, to serve three-year terms before reverting to four-year terms, that’s 2028. The same goes for the Erie County Executive’s office. and some municipal offices have four-year terms expiring in 2027. That year, candidates will run for three-year terms before returning to four-year terms in 2030. The State Association of Counties of New York upheld this interpretation of the law for Politics and other things.

Confusing? Here is some additional information that adds to the confusion.

The law does not apply in New York. The offices of county clerk, sheriff, district attorney, or the various county judge offices do not have to be held in even years; in Erie County, the county clerk and district attorney already operate in even years. City offices in Buffalo, Lackawanna and Tonawanda are not affected and will continue to hold elections in odd years. The sheriff, whose term expires in 2025, would continue to seek a four-year term in odd years. Various judicial positions, including the state Supreme Court, whose terms expire almost every year. All of this would mean that countywide election operations would continue in odd years across the county, regardless of other changes.

The law is in effect, but several lawsuits have been filed around the state trying to overturn it. None of the lawsuits have yet reached the hearing or decision stage. Stay tuned.

Buffalo Bisons – read all about them

As noted in a previous article, coverage of Buffalo Bisons baseball is lacking in the Buffalo News. Some of this, I suppose, is inevitable when you’re printing the paper 180 miles away and copy deadlines come early. There are nevertheless supporters of the team who would like to know more but find nothing available in the newspaper distributed daily but with an information deadline of two days.

THE News, in small print, lists the Bisons International League standings from a few days ago. There are never box scores, hitting or pitching records, or upcoming schedules, although the latter occasionally appear in advertisements the team buys. As a public service, I provide links to team information, current as of yesterday, directly from the team website.

Rankings: Rankings | Bisons (milb.com)

Team composition: Composition | Bisons (milb.com)

Box scores: on this link go to the game you want to see; click on the diamond symbol on the right; slow loading Buffalo Bisons Schedule | Calendar | Bisons (milb.com)

Team Strike: MILB Stats | MILB Team Statistics | MILB leaders

Team Launch: MILB Stats | MILB Team Statistics | MILB leaders

Upcoming Schedule: Buffalo Bisons Schedule | Calendar | Bisons (milb.com)

How to Buy Tickets: Buffalo Bisons Tickets | Bisons (milb.com)

Go Bisons!

X/Twitter @kenkruly

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