(As Chair of the Democratic Caucus of NYSECA I will from time to time issue Memorandums of Support on Election bills before the NYS Legislature. I am posting them on my website for lawmakers and the public to know our positions. You can see my caucus’ legislative priorities here as well as the Bi-Partisan Legislative agenda for NYSECA here. This bill is part of a list of bills that we were asked to consider by Assembly members or Senators to support. You can read that list here. If you agree with this bill consider contacting your local representative and asking them to support the bill.)
Summary: Requires SUNY and CUNY institutions to grant course credit to students who serve as election inspectors, poll clerks, or election coordinators
Justification: The NYS Election Commissioners Association Democratic Caucus supports S4496, which would require the Board of Trustees to consult with boards of elections to adopt a policy requiring that each SUNY campus grant course credit to students for their service as an election inspector, poll clerk, or election coordinator at a polling site in this state. The policy shall include a verification procedure for students claiming credit. The Democratic Commissioners encourage this effort to engage with the student population on the importance of taking an active part of our Democratic process. This will also serve to bolster our poll inspector ranks which is always desirable.
The Democratic Caucus supports this bill. Passing this bill will strengthen the backbone of our bi-partisan election system in New York and we urge the legislature to pass this bill and the Governor to sign it as soon as possible.
Today I sit down with Emily Essi who is running for Onondaga County Clerk. Emily is a Syracuse native who has travelled the world. She has managed multi-million dollar grants, non profits, and has a background in helping people get homes. Now she wants to modernize the County Clerk office and make it more accessible. Enjoy her interview. Learn more at emilyessi.com
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(As Chair of the Democratic Caucus of NYSECA I will from time to time issue Memorandums of Support on Election bills before the NYS Legislature. I am posting them on my website for lawmakers and the public to know our positions. You can see my caucus’ legislative priorities here as well as the Bi-Partisan Legislative agenda for NYSECA here. If you agree with this bill consider contacting your local representative and asking them to support the bill.)
Summary: Authorizes county boards of elections to establish county-wide polling places
Justification: The NYS Election Commissioners Association Democratic Caucus supports S5537A/A6939A, which authorizes county boards of elections to establish county-wide polling places where any person entitled to vote in such county by personal appearance may so vote on the day of a primary election or general election, subject to approval by the state board of elections. New York currently authorizes and encourages vote centers for Early Voting. This legislation will allow the county boards with the resources and desire to do so to use voting centers for primary and general election days. Counties wishing to participate will be required to submit a plan to the NYS Board of Elections to ensure adequate staffing and equipment.
Vote centers on election day have become an increasingly popular option for many jurisdictions. These centers allow voters to cast their ballots at any location within their jurisdiction, rather than being restricted to a single polling place. This can be particularly beneficial for those who work or have other obligations on election day, as it provides more flexibility and convenience. Additionally, vote centers can help reduce wait times and lines, making the voting process more efficient and accessible for all. By allowing voters to choose from a variety of locations, vote centers also help to reduce overcrowding and promote social distancing. Overall, the use of vote centers on election day is a smart and effective way to promote greater voter participation and ensure that every vote counts.
This week is a special Commissioner in a Car from the bowels of the legislative office building in Albany. I take a break from my educational day in Albany to talk about the status of hearings this week at the OCBOE Also we still await the budget in Albany and what it might mean for Boards of Elections throughout the state.
(video breaks up but audio is there. Sorry about the quality.)
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(In addition to our 2023 Legislative priorities, the Democratic Caucus of Commissioners are often asked to weigh in on Election related bills by members of the NYS Senate and Assembly. Here is a list of bills that our caucus has decided to support and hope are passed before then end of the 2023 session. More bills and support memos will be added over the next few weeks.)
S4496 Requires the boards of trustees of SUNY and CUNY institutions to grant course credit to students who serve as election inspectors, poll clerks or election coordinators. Read our Memorandum of Support
S371/A2633 An act to amend the election law, in relation to enacting the “democracy preservation act”; and in relation to prohibiting contributions by foreign-influenced business entities and requiring certification. Read our Memorandum of Support
S438/A928 An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring electors to vote for the presidential and vice presidential candidate who were nominated by the political party that nominated the presidential elector. Read our Memorandum of Support
S945/A4072 An act to amend the election law, in relation to making technical corrections thereto.
S2298/A1176 An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring that subpoenas relating to election matters be served with a separate informational sheet that summarizes why the subpoena has been issued
S2349A An act to amend the election law, in relation to providing that a voter may register to vote at any residence to which the voter maintains a continuous connection with an intent to remain.
S7046/A3291 Makes the expansion of absentee voting provisions permanent.
A3250/S6735 Pre-registered 17 yr old request absentee ballot.
S2381/A5007 Relates to enabling constitutionally qualified electors to register to vote and to cast a ballot on the same day at a polling location.
S6195/A1177 Relates to ballots submitted in envelopes that are sealed with tape, paste or any other binding agent or device and have no indication of tampering.
A1127 Eliminates the ability of judicial candidates for office who are enrolled in a particular party to automatically be allowed to run as a candidate in another party’s primary election
S1733/A5180 Establishes a school voter registration access program
S242/A6971 Establishing portable polling places for Early Voting
S585 Allows NYS Board of Elections to remove Elections Commissioner for cause
Welcome back to #WeeklyWonk. Each weekend I publish an article on a subject relating to elections in Onondaga County and New York State. Often these articles will have detailed stats to consume but sometimes they will be a recap of a prominent issue or on relevant election law. I am turning my eye to the 2023 elections. Today I investigate the Town of Clay, the largest Town in Onondaga County.
The Town of Clay sits in the true north of Onondaga County in between Lysander to the west and Cicero to the East. The makeup of Clay is 34% Democrat (14,074 Voters), 30% GOP (12,219 Voters), and 29% non-Enrolled (12,157 voters). Democrats have carved out a small but sustained plurality in Clay. Clay elects all their representative’s town wide and not by wards. So, I have carved up Clay into 5 different regions, North 8,435 voters, Center 8,281 voters, West 8, 317 voters, South 8,119 voters, and East 8178 voters. Each region represents about 20% of the electorate of Clay.
In a new feature I am bringing to the #weeklywonk this year I am doing a heat map for each political subdivision. I will be looking at the current partisan makeup of each individual ED and heat mapping its partisan lean based on the advantage for the Democrats and GOP. We see a wide variety of partisan leans in these eds. Ed 27 has an overwhelming GOP advantage (+20% GOP). Ed 12 has a normal GOP advantage (+5-10% GOP). Most of the area of Clay exists in the borderline eds. Eds 1, 3, 7, 16, 19, 32, 33, 37, 46 have slight GOP advantage between 0-5%. Eds 4, 5, 8, 13, 14, 17, 18, 29, 35, 40, & 44 have slight democratic enrollment advantages between 0-5%. A significant amount of Eds though live in Democratic leaning areas. Eds 2, 6, 10, 20, 21, 24, 30, 31, 34, 36, 38, 41, & 43, have normal Democratic advantages (5-10% Dem). Ed 15 has an overwhelming Democratic advantage (+20 DEM).
Since 2009 The Town of Clay has seen the typical suburban partisan shift going from a small GOP advantage to a consistent Democratic plurality. Democrats have gained 1,969 voters. The GOP has stalled losing only 210 voters. The Non-enrolled has seen the largest gains, garnering 2,666 more voters. New voters in terms of age and transplants prefer the Democratic and Non-enrolled registration status as the older GOP population is holding steady, but not making any gains as the town grows.
The regions are mostly reflective of the purple nature of the overall registration. The center region is really the Center west consisting of compact suburban eds near the border with Lysander. This is a solid Democratic region with +4.88% partisan advantage. The Eastern region in the southeastern corner of clay with the communities bordering North Syracuse is +4.87 Democrat but the non-enrolled has eclipsed the GOP here. The northern eds are the larger more agrarian eds that make up the North and center portion of the towns and the more GOP leaning of the region with a -3.31 rating for Democrats. The Southern region bordering Salina is also a solid Democratic region with +4.05% Democrat and non-enrolled outnumbering GOP. The western region is the really the southwestern corner that considers itself part of the extended Liverpool community of Salina. This is the most Democratic region with +11.09 Democratic advantage and the non0-enrolled far outnumbering the GOP.
Looking at the growth of voters since the last redistricting cycle we compare it with date from May 2012. The Town of Clay grew by 5713 active voters. The biggest growth is in the northern region which gained by 2735 voters. This makes sense as it is the largest landmass region and where there is room for more development. The western region grew by 975 voters. The Eastern region grew by 815 voters. The southern region grows by 629 voters and the Center region by 559 voters. With Micron coming to Northern clay, we could see even more growth in the northern region as housing development may surround the industrial growth.
The Town of Clay Democratic advantage has grown by 4.61% since 2012, which is significant but behind the pace of Onondaga County overall. The largest growth has been in the western region with Democrats gaining by 7.43%. The southern region grew by 6.04%. The center region grew by 5.20%. The eastern region grew the least by just 2.16%. Democrats are seeing growth across Clay, but it seems to be concentrated mostly in the southwestern corner of the Town.
When we look at the comparative races, we see the hallmarks of a purple town in Onondaga County but a little more Center right. In even years Clay voted for President Biden in 2020 54.71% of the vote, 4.17% behind is Onondaga rate. However, in 2022 Governor Hochul lost Clay only getting 48.86% of the vote, 4.92% behind her Onondaga County rate. In odd years the GOP has done considerably better in Clay. In 2021 Anthony Brindisi for Supreme Court only garnered 43.74% of the vote, 8.76% behind his GOP rate. In 2019 Dan Kolinski for County Clerk only garnered 42.80% of the vote, 4.93% behind his Onondaga County rate. In the last head-to-head local race, the GOP won the Town Clerk race by over 30% points.
In 2023 the Clay Town Democrats will caucus to find candidates for Supervisor, Clerk, 2 Town Justices, 2 Town Board members and Highway superintendent. The Town of Clay Democrats fill their candidates by caucus. The Caucus has not yet been scheduled but can be anytime between now and July 27, 2023. If you are interested in running for any of these offices or want to help the Clay Democrats contact their chairperson Matt Jones at mjones4clay@gmail.com.
That is, it for this week’s edition of the #WeeklyWonk. Next week I will dive into the Town of Dewitt, the most reliably Democratic town in Onondaga County. As always go to dustinczarny.com and subscribe to get all your content and election news updates. I run that website, along with these series of articles, as part of my voter education. I never take ad money or charge subscriptions paying for the site with my own personal funds. Subscribe here.
I sit down with Paolo Cremedis and Giancarlo Llaverias of the Outrun Coalition. They are a group of Democrats focused on electing diverse Democrats in rural communities. They have an incredible record and a great perspective on doing the hard work to get people elected. Enjoy.
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Today I talk about the 9 (and counting) specific objections we have received at the OCBOE and the process for objecting to petitions. I also talk about the new New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge, The possibility of a NY budget coming soon, and the Dominion/Fox settlement. Enjoy.
Subscribe to dustinczarny.com for all election news and content updates
Welcome back to #WeeklyWonk. Each weekend I publish an article on a subject relating to elections in Onondaga County and New York State. Often these articles will have detailed stats to consume but sometimes they will be a recap of a prominent issue or on relevant election law. I am turning my eye to the 2023 elections. Today I look at the Town of Cicero, the largest GOP town in Onondaga County, and one of the more stable communities in terms of partisan registration over the last ten years.
The Town of Cicero sits in the most Northeastern portion of our County. It is a large sized suburban town with 22,449 voters, the third highest town in Onondaga County. It is considered a suburban town but doesn’t share a border with Syracuse nestled between Clay, Manlius and Salina. The Town of Cicero is considered a solid GOP town, the largest political subdivision in Onondaga County with a significant GOP enrollment advantage. The makeup of Cicero is 30% Democrat (6745 Voters), 34% GOP (7547 Voters), and 29% non-Enrolled (6444 voters). This year I am breaking down the Towns into as equal as possible regions. Northern Cicero (eds 4,9,10,11, & 21) has 4660 voters (21%). Central Cicero (Eds 18, 19, 23, 25, 26) has 4354 voters (19%). Eastern Cicero (eds 2, 7, 8, 13, 16, & 20) has 5328 voters (24%). Southern Cicero (Eds 3, 5, 6, 12, & 14) has 4003 voters (18%). Western Cicero (eds 1, 15, 17, 22, 24) has 4104 voters (18%).
In a new feature I am bringing to the #weeklywonk this year I am doing a heat map for each political subdivision. I will be looking at the current partisan makeup of each individual ED and heat mapping its partisan lean based on the advantage for the Democrats and GOP. We see a wide variety of partisan leans in these eds. Ed 10 is the most GOP ed with an overwhelming GOP lean (-17.34%). EDS 7,8,16, & 21 have strong GOP (-10-15%). Eds 1, 2, 11, & 20 have a moderate GOP (- 5-10%). Eds 4, 9, 12, 15, 23, 24, 25, & 26 have slight GOP leans (-0-5%). Eds 3, 5, 17, 18, 19, & 22, have slight Democratic advantages between 0-5%. Ed 14 has a moderate Democratic advantage (+5.18%) and ED 6 has a strong Democratic advantage (+13.73%). Cicero’s largest geographic ed 13 has an even number of Democrats and GOP (354). In general, Democrats seem to be clustered into the southwestern corner near and around the village of North Syracuse where The GOP have the advantage in the eds bordering Oswego County and Oneida lake.
Since 2009 The Town of Cicero, unlike other communities in In Onondaga County, has not seen a change in partisan leanings. It has remained a stalwart Republican town. The Democrats have gained 654 voters since 2009. The GOP grew by only a slightly larger amount 667 voters. The Non-enrolled has been see largest gains by far with 1586 more voters. Unlike other communities that saw massive Democratic gains in the Trump years of 2016-2020 the Town of Cicero saw equal gains on both parties during those years. It seems that voters in Cicero reaction to the Trump years from both parties were to shed their party enrollment instead.
The regions in Cicero have a wide disparity. The Southern region including a portion of the village of North Syracuse is the most Democratic friendly. The Western region of Cicero that shares a border with Clay shows a small GOP advantage. The densely packed Center region with some of the more developed housing units also has a slight GOP lean. The GOP gains its advantage in domination of the Northern Bridgeport area and the Eastern portion of Cicero that is less densely packed. There they dominate and can dominate the entire town.
Looking at the growth of voters since the last redistricting cycle we compare it with date from right before redistricting of 2012. The Town of Cicero grew by 3411 active voters since 2011. The northern Bridgeport region saw the most growth with a gain of 973 voters. In close second, we saw the Center region with a nearly equal gain of 931 voters. The Eastern portion of Cicero had moderate growth of 660 voters. The western district (+458) and southern region (+389) voters saw the least gain. With Micron coming to neighboring Clay all these regions are likely choices for the influx of voters and it will be interesting to see the growths come next redistricting cycle.
The Town of Cicero is one of the more stable towns in Onondaga County in terms of partisan advantage. Since 2011 the GOP has only grown its advantage in Cicero by .02%. The Northern region has had the most change with a 2,24% shift towards the Democrats as its voter enrollment grew, but that is a relatively small shift. The Eastern region has seen the most GOP shift with 1.47% towards the GOP, again a very small shift. The Center region (+.31%) and southern regions (+.61%) saw incredibly small shifts towards the Democrats. The western region also saw a small sift (-.47%) toward the GOP. This all underlines the stability of the Cicero community in terms of partisan leans, but the wildcard here is the growing non-enrolled community that isn’t reflected in these partisan difference stats.
When we look at the comparative races, we see a solidly GOP town that votes significantly to the right of Onondaga County as a whole. In 2022 the Town of Cicero only voted for Governor Hochul’s by 41.96%, 11.82% worse than her win in Onondaga County rate of 53.78%. In 2021 the Town of Camillus only voted for Anthony Brindisis for Supreme Court by 39.45%, 13.05% worse than the county result rate of 52.50%. In 2020 Cicero was one of the few communities that didn’t vote for President Biden only giving him 46.59%, 12.29% points behind his Onondaga County win of 58.88%. In 2019 Cicero voted for Democrat Mark Kolinski for County clerk by only 37.50% losing 10.23% of his Onondaga County rate of 47.73%. The last head-to-head town office where Democrats contested was Supervisor in 2021 where Democrats lost by almost 25%. Even though non-enrolled voters have grown, the voting patterns above indicate they are more conservative than non-enrolled voters in other communities.
In 2023 the Cicero Town Democrats will caucus to find candidates for Supervisor, 2 Town Board members, and Highway superintendent. The Town of Cicero has already caucused but they are looking to fill some vacancies for most positions by July 31, 2023. If you are interested in running for any of these offices or want to help the Cicero Democrats contact their chairperson Rob Santucci at Rsantucc@twcny.rr.com
That is, it for this week’s edition of the #WeeklyWonk. Next week I will dive into the Town of Clay, the largest town in Onondaga County. As always go to dustinczarny.com and subscribe to get all your content and election news updates. I run that website, along with these series of articles, as part of my voter education. I never take ad money or charge subscriptions paying for the site with my own personal funds. Subscribe here.
This week I spoke with Bill Kinne who is running for County Executive. Bill is running on a more transparent and open government platform that will be more responsive to public input. Enjoy.
Dustin M. Czarny 