New York City may move its mayoral elections to even years. It'd be part of a trend

"One of the most closely watched elections this fall is New York City's mayoral race. But New York voters will also weigh in on a lesser-known proposal that could move future city elections to even-numbered years. It's part of a growing trend to consolidate election dates adding local races to the ballot during presidential and midterm elections. Proponents of the effort say it counters persistently low turnout for local elections, despite concerns about local issues and candidates getting overshadowed."

"Right now, most local races across the country for things like city council, school board and bond measures are "off-cycle," or don't coincide with federal elections, according to Katy Owens Hubler, director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures. "So, all throughout the year, you know, any given Tuesday, there's probably an election somewhere in the country," she said."

"About a third of states leave it up to local officials to decide when to have local elections, said Zoli Hajnal, a political science professor at UC San Diego. And most local officials choose to have their elections during odd-numbered years. "I think it's the sort of feeling of not wanting to get lost in the shuffle," said Hubler, adding that city leaders often worry their smaller contests and local issues will be overshadowed."

New York City voters may decide whether to move future municipal elections to even-numbered years, aligning them with presidential and midterm cycles. The change reflects a broader trend of consolidating election dates to add local races to high-profile ballots. Supporters argue consolidation counters persistently low turnout in off-cycle local contests. Many local races currently occur in odd-numbered years because some states mandate separation or local officials prefer avoiding competition with state and federal races. City leaders also cite campaign finance concerns and fear smaller contests and local issues will be overshadowed when held alongside larger races.

Read at www.npr.org