Wonky Wednesday: The Villages of Fayetteville and Manlius

Welcome back to #WonkyWednesday. Each week I take a deep dive into the electoral and registration data that makes up our home of Onondaga County. My hope is by understanding these data points we can appreciate the many facets of election administration and voter participation. This week I am investigating the village elections that the Onondaga County Board of Elections runs this March. On March 15^th seven different villages will hold elections but only two are contested and run by the Board of Elections. So, this week I will focus on the villages of Fayetteville and Manlius.

The Village of Fayetteville has a population of 4,225 in the 2020 US Census. It also has 3228 active registered voters as of the February 21, 2022, enrollment. It traditionally has held elections in March on even years. The Board consists of four trustees elected on four-year terms and an elected mayor. Up this year are two trustees to be elected on March 15^th, 2022.

The village of Fayetteville is reflective of the overall trends we have seen in the Town of Manlius. A growing Democratic population that is starting to change the make-up of the electorate around it. Fayetteville village elections are traditionally non-partisan, but that is not a legal prohibition. This year the Town of Manlius Democratic committee has decided to field candidates in the village elections here, and you can see why. Democrats have a large plurality of voters at 41% of village makeup. Republicans are at 27%, just ahead of non-enrolled (BLK) at 26%.

The village of Fayetteville is made up of five different election districts from the Town of Manlius. EDS 5,7,8,17, and 21 are contained inside the village of Manlius borders. As we can see above the Democrats dominate every Election District. Two Election Districts of note are eds 5 and 21 on the West side of Fayetteville. In these EDs non-enrolled voters overtake the GOP indicating a more left leaning electorate there than the rest of the village.

The Village of Manlius has a population of 4,662 in the 2020 US Census. It also has 3170 active registered voters as of the February 21, 2022, enrollment. It traditionally holds elections for the village offices in odd number years. However due to a retirement they are holding an election this March. On the ballot is a to-fill-vacancy spot for Manlius Town judge.

The Village of Manlius, like Fayetteville, has a decided Democratic lean. 38% of the registered voters are registered Democrats. The GOP is at 28% and just five voters ahead of the BLK or non-enrolled vote which is at 27%. Here the Non-enrolled are ever closed to overtaking the Democrats, just five voters behind. We can see now why the GOP so adamantly worked to excise this village from the new OCL 10 in the new County leg maps.

The Village of Manlius consists of four election districts. Election District 14,20,23, & 27 that are contained inside the village. Once again, we see that Democratic enrollment is dominant in each of the election districts. The western most districts, Eds 14 & 27 show a more left leaning edge as the non-enrolled outnumber the GOP registration.