Assembly advances constitutional amendment to move most non‑NYC elections to even years after heated debate

The Assembly voted to advance a proposed constitutional amendment that would move a set of constitutional and county offices outside New York City into even‑numbered election cycles. Sponsor Assemblyman Jacobson said the change will increase turnout and save county election costs by consolidating elections; he called it an incremental completion of prior statutory reforms.

Opponents pressed the sponsor on several procedural and policy risks. Members raised concerns that the change could create transition vacancies that would be filled by gubernatorial appointment — raising incumbency and accountability questions — and they questioned whether voters outside New York City had been sufficiently consulted. “You’re creating a trapdoor for many of these county elected individuals to be replaced by one person, the governor of New York,” one critic said during debate.

Members also debated whether local races would be overshadowed by top‑of‑ticket contests, whether ballots would become unwieldy, and whether the state should have waited for data from the earlier statutory move to even years before proceeding with a constitutional amendment. The sponsor and several supporters argued the amendment aligns remaining constitutional offices with the even‑year cycle and that implementation statutes could address technical concerns like vacancies and ballot format.

On the floor, members from both rural and suburban districts voiced opposition citing local control and the risk of politicizing local offices; others said consolidated ballots broaden participation and reduce the cost of recurring local elections. The clerk recorded the roll: Ayes 88, Nays 46. Under constitutional procedure, the amendment must be passed again by a subsequent legislature and then presented to the voters in a statewide referendum.