Originally Published: August 2, 2010
Good Government Group’s study reveals turnout is 57 percent higher for City Council nonpartisan special elections than partisan contests for state legislative seats
Report shatters opponents’ argument that voter turnout is similar for non partisan and partisan elections
Citizens Union calls on city charter to embrace a top-two election system and begin the process of giving greater voter choice to New Yorkers
Citizens Union today released a report showing that New Yorkers turn out in greater numbers to vote in nonpartisan Council special elections than they do for partisan elections for state legislature.
The average turnout for nonpartisan special elections for City Council seats since 2000 has been 10.30 percent, which is 57 percent greater than partisan special elections for state legislative contests, which averaged only 6.58 percent during the same period. The difference between state and city special elections is that political parties do not choose their own candidates to run in the Council special elections, but do so in the state legislative contests.
The turnout gap between these two types of special elections has also significantly widened in the past two years. Since 2008, there have been ten special elections – five of which were nonpartisan and five of which were partisan. The average nonpartisan special election turnout was 12.14 percent for City Council seats, which is 109 percent higher than the average partisan special election turnout of 5.76 percent for state legislative contests.
Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, said, “This data shatters the opponents’ argument that there is little difference in turnout between nonpartisan and partisan elections. Our study convincingly shows that when voters are given greater choice among candidates in a nonpartisan election, they turn out in greater numbers. The reason the turnout for state legislative partisan special elections is so much lower is that the choice is less and the outcome a foregone conclusion. This data argues strongly for consideration of an election system where party influence is less determinative and candidate choice is greater. This is just one more reason why the City Charter Commission should consider placing a Top-Two election system before the voters this fall and open up our elections to all eligible voters.”
A Top-Two election system, proposed by Citizens Union in its recommendations to the City Charter Revision Commission would open the primary election to all eligible voters, regardless of party affiliation, so that every registered voter could participate in the first consequential election that most often decides who is elected to office. The candidates who finished in the top two spots would then move onto the general election in which all eligible voters would again vote.
Unlike a pure nonpartisan system, the proposed Top-Two election system would allow candidates to self-identify with their political parties, providing valuable information to voters about a candidate’s party identification. Political parties would still be allowed to support candidates.