New York’s oldest good government group recommends New Yorkers vote YES on ballot proposals to reform housing and land use policy, move elections to even years, and authorize changes to the Adirondack Preserve.
To view Citizens Union’s full positions on the 2025 ballot questions, click here
New York, NY (Sept 16, 2025) – Today, Citizens Union announced its support for the six ballot questions that New York City voters will consider in the November general election. The measures include four City Charter amendments on land use and housing, one Charter amendment to move local elections to even years, and one statewide constitutional amendment involving the Adirondack forest preserve.
After a rigorous review process, Citizens Union encouraged voters to support all six proposals, which will appear on the ballot in the following order:
- Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex Expansion
- Fast Tracking Affordable Housing
- Expedited Land Use Review Procedure
- Affordable Housing Appeals Board
- City Map Modernization
- Even-Year City Elections
“New Yorkers have an exciting opportunity to strengthen our democracy and address the city’s housing crisis when they go to the polls in November. At Citizens Union, we strongly encourage New Yorkers to flip their ballots and vote yes on all six ballot proposals this election,” said Grace Rauh, Executive Director of Citizens Union. “Most importantly, we urge a yes vote on question 6 – a truly transformative reform we have long championed that will significantly improve voter turnout. By moving city elections to even years, when turnout is significantly higher, we will not only bolster engagement and expand the electorate, but also ensure our city government is more representative, responsive, and reflective of the people it serves.”
“Additionally, questions 2 through 5 are pragmatic solutions to address New York City’s affordable housing crisis while preserving public accountability. Voters should seize this opportunity to modernize and streamline how we build housing in a way that reflects citywide needs,” Rauh added.
Question 6: Even-Year Elections in New York City
Citizens Union strongly supports moving city elections to even-numbered years to align with federal races, where voter turnout is highest. New York City’s odd-year municipal elections suffer from anemic turnout, with just 23% turnout in the most recent cycle, drawing electorates that are older, whiter, and wealthier than the city as a whole. Municipalities across the country that have embraced even-year elections have seen dramatic gains in engagement, particularly among younger voters and voters of color.
Additionally, consolidating New York City elections would save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in election costs per cycle, according to an Independent Budget Office analysis.
“Nearly three times as many New Yorkers vote for president than for mayor. For far too long, off-cycle elections have produced record-low turnout and an electorate that does not reflect the diversity of our city. Moving our elections to even years would significantly enhance turnout, make our elections more representative, and save us millions in election administration costs,” Rauh said.
Citizens Union has long championed this reform and presented extensive testimony to the 2025 Charter Revision Commission in favor of consolidated municipal elections. Throughout the Commission’s lengthy hearing process, moving elections to even years proved to be one of the most popular and widely supported reforms considered by the panel. It received broad backing from civic and community groups, voting rights organizations, editorial boards, elected officials, and even candidates running in this current odd-year cycle.
Read Citizens Union’s report on the benefits of even-year municipal elections.
Questions 2–5: Housing and Land Use Reforms to City Charter
New York City faces a severe housing crisis, with a shortage of housing overall and affordable housing in particular. Citizens Union supports the reforms in Questions 2 through 5 and believes they are important steps for New York to take to alleviate structural barriers to housing production while preserving key opportunities for public intervention and accountability.
Citizens Union supports the four housing amendments advanced by the 2025 Charter Revision Commission after its extensive review of the City’s planning and land use process. However, we believe further progress on housing will require additional policy measures.
- Question 2: Fast Tracking Affordable Housing – This amendment would create two expedited zoning review processes for certain affordable housing projects, reducing review time and removing the City Council’s final approval role.
Instead of going through the lengthy Uniform Land Use Review Process, publicly financed affordable housing projects would have the ability to seek approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). While Citizens Union has concerns about expanding the BSA’s role in substantive land use decisions, this limited expansion effectively targets urgently needed projects for low-income residents.
In addition, projects that participate in the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program and are located in districts that have produced the least amount of affordable housing would go through a fast track review that ends with a decision by the City Planning Commission. This proposal has the potential to spur much-needed development in areas where it is greatly needed. The codification of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program in this reform calls for close monitoring of its effectiveness.
- Question 3: Expedited Land Use Review – This amendment would create a new Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP) for certain modest housing, resiliency, and infrastructure projects. Reviews by community boards and borough presidents would occur simultaneously, the City Planning Commission would have 30 days to act, and its decision would be final.
Ensuring a streamlined review of key housing and infrastructure projects is critical to meet the housing needs of New Yorkers. It is essential, however, that an expedited process not come at the expense of substantive deliberation by planning commissioners, who will need to be supported by an adequately staffed department to handle an increased number of applications.
- Question 4: Affordable Housing Appeals Board – This amendment would create a three-member board—consisting of the Mayor, City Council Speaker, and relevant Borough President—with the power to overturn Council decisions rejecting or altering affordable housing projects.
This proposal ensures that a single council member cannot derail an affordable housing project crucial for the city under the practice of “member deference,” thereby restoring a better balance between the interests of individual communities and those of the city as a whole.
At the same time, there are risks in elevating the borough president’s power as a swing vote, which could draw heavy special interest lobbying and campaign spending. Safeguards will be needed to ensure the new board operates with transparency and integrity.
- Question 5: City Map Modernization – This amendment would consolidate borough map functions at the Department of City Planning and require creation of a single digital City Map, replacing more than 8,000 paper maps currently maintained across five borough offices.
This modernization is a sensible improvement to a basic but essential city service.
Question 1: Adirondack Preserve Land for Olympic Facilities
This statewide constitutional amendment would authorize limited use of Adirondack forest preserve land for Olympic facilities at Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid. In exchange, the State would be required to purchase at least 2,500 acres of new land to add to the preserve.
Citizens Union supports this measure as it helps the region maintain its position as one of the world’s major competitive winter sports facilities, provides an economic boost to an area in need of such activity, and results in a net gain of conserved land.
For more information on the ballot questions and Citizens Union’s positions, click here.