Most New Yorkers don’t realize we’re in the middle of an election season, and who could blame them? With no citywide election and many uncontested races, only a small percentage of the city’s nearly five million registered voters will turn out to vote in the elections for city council.
Low voter turnout isn’t unique to off-off-year elections like this one, it even afflicts highly contested mayoral elections. In the 2021 mayoral election, only 23 percent of voters cast a ballot, compared to 62 percent turnout in the 2020 presidential contest.
Low voter turnout is bad for our democracy. It means our elected officials are accountable to fewer of their constituents, and the electorate that does vote in low turnout races isn’t reflective of our city as a whole.
Over the past several years, we’ve made strides to reform our historically regressive voting laws. We’ve implemented early voting and electronic check-in at poll sites; allowed 16-year-olds to pre-register and for New Yorkers on parole to vote; and made it easier for voters to access absentee ballots. As of a few days ago, New Yorkers can now register to vote online. These reforms make it easier to participate in our elections.
But more work must be done to increase voter turnout. So, what can we do? Here are some common-sense ideas that will go even further.
Let’s start by allowing New York City voters to vote at any early voting site in their borough. For many voters, their assigned early voting site isn’t the most convenient site. New York City is the only locality in the state that doesn’t allow this, it’s time for that to change.
We also need to pass same-day voter registration. Nearly half the states in the country allow voters to register on Election Day, but in New York, the registration deadline is ten days before the election. Many first-time voters become engaged in their local races only days before election day. Allowing voters to register at the polls on election day will bring more voices into the process.
Immigrant communities and communities of color continue to see lower participation numbers. The city can address this by partnering with community-based organizations to inform the electorate and increase language accessibility at poll sites.
However, the most transformational reform to increase voter turnout is to consolidate New York City’s local elections with presidential or gubernatorial elections. The simple fact is that fewer people vote in odd-numbered years.By moving local elections to coincide with presidential or statewide elections, we can significantly improve voter turnout and draw an electorate that is more representative of New York’s diverse population.
Studies show that young voters were five times more likely to vote in recent presidential elections than in the last two competitive contests for mayor. An analysis from Citizens Union found that the sharpest turnout gains from odd-numbered to even-numbered election years occurred in majority-minority communities, with Latinx-majority areas seeing the biggest gains.
As we approach another election cycle that promises low turnout numbers, let’s commit to increasing voter turnout by implementing these common-sense reforms.
Primary Election Day for City Council races is June 27, with Early Voting running from June 17 to June 25. To find your early voting location, hours, and election day poll site, visit findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
Gotbaum is the executive director of Citizens Union, and a former NYC Public Advocate.
