(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.)
Memorandum of Support
Bill: S5943/A725
Sponsor: Skoufis/Hunter
Summary: Modifies the order in which candidates appear on the ballot
Justification: The NYS Election Commissioners Association Democratic Caucus supports S5943/A725, which modifies the order in which candidates appear on the ballot. This bill requires that offices shall be listed on the ballot in descending order based on the size of the electorate and requires certain federal offices to be listed before state, county, or local offices. This will bring uniformity to ballot creation throughout New York State, giving a standard for county boards of elections to follow. It will also right place emphasis on the size of political subdivisions and state and federal offices that most voters are familiar with.
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.
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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 and the political subdivision having races. Today I investigate the Town of Dewitt, the most Democratic Town in Onondaga County.
The Town of Dewitt sits on the Eastern suburbs of the City of Syracuse. Its long western border makes it the Town that shares the longest border with Syracuse. This in part leads to its overwhelmingly blue nature. The makeup of Dewitt is 40% Democrat (7,116 Voters), 25% GOP (4,333 Voters), and 29% non-Enrolled (5,113 voters). This enrollment is the most Democratic of anyplace outside the City of Syracuse. Dewitt elects all their representative’s town wide and not by wards. So, I have carved up Clay into 5 different regions, North 3,679 voters (21%), Center 3,591 voters (20%), West 3,582 voters (20%), South 3,331 voters (19%), and East 3,457 voters (20%).
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. Dewitt is so Democratic only 1 Ed, ED 12 has a GOP lean (between 5-10%). Four more eds, 1,8, 17, & 20, have a borderline (0-5%) Democratic Lean. Eds 4, 13, 15, & 19 have a slight (5-10%) Democratic lean. Eds 6, 7, 9, & 25 have moderate (10-15%) Democratic lean. Eds 10, 21 & 23 have strong (15-20%) Democratic lean. The largest collection of eds, 2, 3, 5, 14, 16, 18, 22 & 24 have overwhelming (+20%) Democratic lean. Theis the largest collection of Overwhelming Democratic eds outside the City of Syracuse.
Since 2009 The Town of Dewitt went from a Town with a Democratic lean to an overwhelmingly Democratic plurality. Democrats have gained 1,165 voters while the GOP lost 1,068 voters. The Non-enrolled has seen a large gain as well of 1,012 voters filling the void left by the GOP. This is the driving factor in the polarization of Dewitt. This is like other suburban towns but a little more exaggerated. Since 2020 though it is noticeable that Democrats have plateaued, losing a little. The GOP has also slowed its loss. The Non-enrolled though continues to gain. It will be worth looking at this town again after the 2024 election of we see any changes to this recent turn.
The regions are mostly reflective of the blue nature of the overall registration. The center region of Dewitt looks a great deal like a city ward with Democrats having a 31.63% Democratic advantage. This is followed by the western region that has a +19.43%. These two regions border the eastern borders of Syracuse which is some of the more Democratic in the county. This is what is leading to Dewitt’s overwhelming blue nature. The Eastern region which borders the other blue town of Manlius has a 13.77% Democratic advantage. All three of these regions the non-enrolled outnumber the GOP. The northern (+7.31% Dem advantage) and the Southern (+6.18% dem advantage) looks more like other suburban regions throughout Onondaga County.
Looking at the growth of voters since the last redistricting cycle we compare it with date from May 2012. The Town of Dewitt grew by 1,807 active voters. The biggest growth is in the western region which gained by 538 voters. The southern region which borders Lafayette and Pompey had the second highest growth of 410 voters. The Eastern region bordering Manlius is a close 3rd at 344 voters. The Center region grew at a similar rate by 303 voters. The least growth has come in northern region with only 212 voters.
The Town of Dewitt Democratic advantage has grown by 11.10% since 2012, outpacing Onondaga County overall. In 2012 every region was Democratic; however, all regions grew in Democratic advantage over the last 10 years. The largest growth has been in the western region with Democrats gaining by 16.90%. The center region democratic advantage grew by 12.05%. The southern region Democratic advantage grew by 11.80%. The eastern region grew the least by just 9.68%. The Northern region grew by just 5.52%.
When we look at the comparative races, we see why Democrats are dominating just about every Town race and Democrats performed better in Dewitt than anywhere outside of Syracuse. In 2019 Dan Kolinski for County Clerk garnered 54.70% of the vote, 9.97% ahead of his Onondaga County rate. President Biden in 2020 64.86% of the vote, 5.98% ahead of his Onondaga rate. In 2021 Anthony Brindisi for Supreme Court garnered 59.50% of the vote, 8.76% behind his GOP rate. In 2022 Governor Hochul garnered 60,78% of the vote, 7.00% ahead of her Onondaga County rate. This has led the GOP to shy away from running in town wide races here and carve it up in County legislative races. In the last head-to-head local race was Town Justice in 2021, the Democrats won it by 16.14%.
In 2023 the Dewitt Town Democrats will look to fill candidates for Supervisor, Clerk, Town Justices, 3 Town Board members and Highway superintendent. The Town of Dewitt 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 Linda Ervin at ervindewittdems@gmail.com.
That is, it for this week’s edition of the #WeeklyWonk. Next week I take a break from the Towns of Onondaga County and look at the village of Liverpool. They held their first Democratic caucus in 20 years last week and will be running a full slate of Democratic candidates in the June election. 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.
Raquan Pride-Green and Hasahn Bloodworth were removed Friday from this year’s Democratic primary for Syracuse Common Council seats after their petitions were challenged.
The two commissioners for the Onondaga County Board of Elections agreed with challengers who claimed some of the people passing petitions and some of the people who signed them were not Democrats, Commissioner Dustin Czarny said.
(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
Subscribe to dustinczarny.com for all election news and content updates
(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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Dustin M. Czarny 