I want to take a moment to welcome you to my website. This is my new home for my various election related projects that I have started over the last few years. As Onondaga County’s Democratic Elections Commissioner I am always looking for ways to further educate voters and navigate them through the arcane web of New York’s electoral system.
On my podcast page you can find my ongoing Commissioner in a Car series. A weekly Facebook live show dedicated to election news and deadlines. I also started a weekly interview series for candidates and Democracy advocates called Zoom with Czarny.
This will also serve as a home for my writings. On occasion I am blessed to testify in my role as Democratic Caucus Chair of the NYS Elections Commissioner Association. I have appeared in front of the NYS Legislature, Onondaga County Legislature, and Syracuse Common Council. I have collected my previous testimony here with video links when available.
I also have a weekly statistics blog called Wonky Wednesday. This column is dedicated to examining the election statistics and registration data in Onondaga County and throughout New York State. I also will from time to time author editorials and opinion articles on election related topics. You can find those writings on my editorial page.
On occasion I appear on feature podcasts and tv shows. These longer programs offer me the ability to discuss complicated election issues on my featured page. Finally I regularly appear in local and statewide media on election related matters. I am compiling all current and past appearances on my interview page.
This website and all programming is entirely paid for by my personal funds. I do not accept donations or advertising. This is all part of my voter education and outreach efforts. If you are interested you can subscribe to my website and get updates when I post content. Thank you for visiting.
This week I show off what the ballots look like in Onondaga County, Why we at Onondaga County Board of Elections went to a 22″ ballot this year. Also why some resolutions on the back are in a second columns and some aren’t I also address briefly the news from Friday on the OCL 16 ongoing ballot fraud claims. Enjoy.
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In this week’s episode I talk about the resolutions that will appear on the ballot this fall. Not only do we have the dueling term limit resolutions, we have term extensions in Dewitt & Fabius as well as a Full Time Ambulance resolution in Lafayette. Enjoy!
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“There’s a multitude of opinions of how things should be done,” Czarny said. “I respect all of the opinions. But in this world where there are forces attacking democracy and trying to sow damage in our electoral system, the respected authorities need to stand up and speak. And that includes the commissioner of elections.”
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:
This week I was at the Summer NYS Elections Commissioner Association conference. I talk about what we did there and how these associations form. I also talk about the election of officers including my own re-election as Caucus Chair, which is different than my election this fall as elections Commissioner. Enjoy.
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In this week’s episode I talk about the deal to put term limits for County Executive and County Comptroller on the ballot. I explain what is in the deal, why there are two propositions (12 and 16 year terms), why it had to go to court to get this deal, and why I decided to settle the court case and agree to this compromise. Enjoy.
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I wanted to write to you today because several major news stories came to the forefront this week. In fact, this has been one of the busiest and most consequential weeks of my career. It showcases the need for continued vigilance in safeguarding our voters and ensuring their voices are heard. Sometimes that responsibility falls directly on the office of Democratic Elections Commissioner. I want to share with you how, working with other Democratic leaders, we are addressing these challenges.
Term Limits: Making Sure Voters Get a Choice
We finally have a resolution to the term-limit battle that has put our community in the national spotlight.
The County Executive’s confusing decision to sign both an approval and a veto of the bipartisan 12-year term-limit resolution passed by the County Legislature became the subject of some of the most intense news coverage of my career. Furthermore, my counterpart decided not to accept the term-limit resolution as transmitted by the Onondaga County Legislature Clerk—an action I believed was improper.
On August 5, I made the difficult decision to act by suing my counterpart. Without action, we risked leaving this question unresolved and denying voters the opportunity to decide the issue this year. At the time I filed the lawsuit, there was no legally viable path forward to placing term limits on the ballot.
Now there is.
We have reached a settlement among all parties that will put term limits before the voters this year. This was a team effort, with the steady leadership of Onondaga County Legislature Chair Nicole Watts proving vital. Like any compromise, the result is not perfect. But we are in a better position than we were before I acted, and most importantly, the voters of Onondaga County will get to make the decision this year.
I consider that fulfilling my obligation to the voters I serve.
The term-limit dispute is not the only national news story our community has faced in recent months.
During the June 23 primary, ICE agents entered a Syracuse polling place while voting was underway. Fortunately, no voters were present at the time, and the visit involved a single poll inspector’s social media activity. Nevertheless, the incident raised concerns nationwide. As far as anyone can determine, this was the first time ICE agents entered an operating polling place.
That is why I appeared this week before the Public Safety Committee of the Onondaga County Legislature to support Legislator Ellen Block’s resolution seeking to protect our polling places and voters from future interference.
Polling places must be places where every eligible voter can exercise their rights without fear or outside interference. It is important that we continue speaking up to defend voters and the integrity of our polling places, and I applaud Legislator Block’s effort to do so.
One of the most difficult responsibilities of an Elections Commissioner is overseeing close elections and contested primaries.
In the Democratic primary for the 16th District of the Onondaga County Legislature, the race came down to just seven votes. On top of that, allegations of fraud were raised by one side.
In situations like this, an Elections Commissioner has a responsibility to put aside politics, uphold the law, and protect the rights of every voter. I worked with the New York State Board of Elections to ensure that the Onondaga County Board of Elections followed the law and counted the properly cast votes of the citizens of the district.
After a long and drawn-out court case, our interpretation of the law was upheld, the votes were counted, an
d eight weeks after the primary, we were finally able to certify a winner this week.
Standing up for voters is why I am running for another term as your Democratic Elections Commissioner.
My experience and my relationships with local, state, and national leaders allow me to bring results for the voters of Onondaga County. I am a zealous defender of the right of voters to cast their ballots and make their choices free from outside influence or hindrance.
Sometimes that means I must take on Republicans. Sometimes it means disagreeing with fellow Democrats. But it will always mean putting the rights and interests of voters first.
That is the responsibility you entrusted to me, and it is the responsibility I am asking you to entrust to me again.
I Want to Hear From You
Since launching my re-election campaign on August 1, I have personally connected with more than 200 Democratic Committee members. My goal is to speak personally with all 500 members of our committee before the October 1 reorganizational meeting.
I am coming to your next Town or Ward meeting. However, if you cannot attend or your committee has not yet scheduled a meeting, I am also providing Zoom opportunities so we can talk directly.
Of course, I am also happy to connect with you individually. You can call me at 315-383-4318 or email me at any time.
I look forward to hearing from you, earning your support, and continuing to work together to protect the voters of Onondaga County—this election and beyond.
“Today is a good day for Democracy and the voters of Onondaga County,” Czarny told NewsChannel 9 | LocalSYR.com. “I am happy to have played a small role in bringing about this outcome. “
