Even-year local elections mean unequal voting rights

New York City voters recently rejected a proposal to move their local elections to even-numbered years. People on Long Island and upstate, 55% of the state's voting population, never got that choice, creating two classes of voters in New York — those who had a say, and those who didn't.

The city-centric State Legislature adopted, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed, the legislation foisting even-year elections on the people of Long Island and upstate, with an exemption for New York City. As the state Supreme Court justice who decided the preliminary round of ensuing litigation put it, "Are the urbane voters of New York City less likely to be confused by odd-year elections than the rubes living in upstate and Long Island?"

While that decision was overturned by a midlevel state appellate court, the question the justice posed remains unanswered. Perhaps another challenge filed in October by Republicans, including the Nassau and Suffolk party committees, will succeed in federal court.

Nearly one year after that exemption was carved out for the city, voters there were offered the choice we never got in the form of a referendum — and rejected it: 53% said they did not want to move local elections to presidential election years.

So now what? We are left with two classes of voters in New York State, courtesy of our Democratic governor, who continually claims to understand the importance of the work that local government does as a former longtime local official herself, but who has relegated us all to the status of second-class voters with unequal rights and protections under the law.

Making matters more complex, the countywide offices of district attorney, clerk and Suffolk sheriff are exempt from the even-year law because their terms are set in the state constitution. So in Nassau and Suffolk, voters will still have odd-numbered year elections for those positions.

While proponents of even-year elections will stand behind higher turnouts as the gold standard for declaring the health of our democracy, I'd argue that educated and informed voters who have the ability and enough time to listen to the platforms and issues brought up by candidates for office actually matter. Now more than ever, it should matter to everyone who cares about our country and has seen the damage that the system of big-money politics has done eroding public trust. The fact is that local town and county races, and the issues that Long Island residents care about the most, will be vanquished and overwhelmed by the hoopla and grossly inordinate spending of even-year elections. Moreover, first-time candidates will have virtually no chance to meaningfully distinguish themselves or their platforms in such an environment.

I have no doubt that some who read this essay with minds that calculate and see things from a purely political perspective will deride it while onboard their "winning at any and all cost" ride destined for the bottom. Fortunately, I know that the vast majority of people on Long Island are discerning and care deeply about the balance between development and open space, our environment and economy, and the local characteristics of our communities which are taken up by local governments — and will agree that we deserve the same rights as our fellow New Yorkers in the city.

This guest essay reflects the views of Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico, a Republican from Center Moriches.