Dear Democratic Committee Members,
Ballots are about to be mailed by the Onondaga County Democratic Committee for our reorganizational meeting on October 1st. As a reminder, voting in the two contested races—Commissioner of Elections and Secretary—must be done by mail. Ballots must be returned to OCDC by September 28th.
Because of possible mail delays, I strongly suggest returning your ballot as soon as possible. You may also drop it off at Democratic Headquarters, 615 W. Genesee St., Syracuse. If you need assistance, please reach out to me at 315-383-4318.
As ballots are mailed, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about my commitment to Democrats and voters—not only here in Onondaga County, but throughout New York and across the country.
I have been a continuous member of the Onondaga County Democratic Committee since 1996. Before becoming Elections Commissioner in 2013, I served as 1st Ward Chair, City Chair, and 17th Ward Chair. While I have advocated for reforms within OCDC, I continue to believe strongly in the power of grassroots organizing. A vibrant and active County Committee remains one of our best tools for electing Democrats and delivering results for the people we serve.
My advocacy, however, has never stopped at the borders of Onondaga County. I have long worked to modernize our electoral system and strengthen election administration throughout New York.
I joined the New York State Election Commissioners Association in 2013 and served as its Legislative Chair from 2014 through 2016. In 2017, my fellow Democratic Election Commissioners across New York selected me to serve as Democratic Caucus Chair, a position I continue to hold today. In that role, I have helped represent Democratic Election Commissioners as counties across New York implemented major changes such as Early Voting, electronic poll books, ballot-on-demand systems, and Early Mail Voting. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, election officials across the state also faced the unprecedented challenge of rethinking how we administered elections while protecting both voters and election workers.
In recent years, I have also had the honor of expanding that advocacy nationally. In 2021, I was named one of two New York representatives to the Local Leadership Council for the US Elections Assistance Commission. In 2023, I joined Issue One’s Faces of Democracy, a bipartisan national effort of election officials working to combat election disinformation and strengthen public confidence in our elections. I also joined the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions to learn from other large election offices and bring those ideas home to Onondaga County.
In 2024, I stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol at an event sponsored by Public Citizen as part of a nationwide press conference calling attention to threats against election workers and the need for stronger protections. In 2025 and 2026, I participated in advocacy fly-ins with the Partnership for Election Infrastructure to urge Congress to provide the resources local election officials need to secure and administer our elections.
If you honor me with another term as your Democratic Elections Commissioner, I will continue this work.
My involvement at the state and national levels is not separate from my work here at home. It allows me to learn from election officials across the country, advocate for resources for local boards of elections, and bring new ideas and opportunities back to Onondaga County. That advocacy has helped our county secure grant funding to safeguard our elections and upgrade our equipment, while giving Onondaga County a voice in discussions about reforms that protect voters, modernize election administration, and make voting more accessible and convenient.
Finally, I have scheduled additional Zoom Q&As for anyone who would like an opportunity to speak with me before casting a ballot.
I have already attended Democratic meetings in DeWitt, Lysander, Manlius, Marcellus, Onondaga, Pompey, and Salina. In the coming weeks, I will also attend meetings in the 17th Ward, Camillus, Elbridge, Geddes, and Skaneateles.
I know, however, that not every Ward and Town Committee is meeting before ballots are due, and not every committee member can attend when they do. That is why I am holding these Q&As—to give as many committee members as possible an opportunity to ask me questions directly.
My next Zoom Q&A is Sunday, September 6th at 7:00 p.m., followed by another on Sunday, September 20th at 7:00 p.m. You can register on my website:
No matter who you vote for, please take part in the 2026 OCDC designation process and return your ballot by September 28th.
Thank you for your service to our party, our voters, and our community.
Dustin Czarny
Dustin M. Czarny 