In New York, when Democrats fear they’re losing power, they don’t recalibrate their message, they rewrite the rules. Their latest ploy? A sweeping, partisan piece of legislation that will move most local elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered ones. On its face, they claim it’s about boosting voter turnout. In reality, it’s about suppressing Republican victories, hijacking local elections, and rigging the system to preserve their own power.
This legislation is nothing short of election interference, and it’s facing legal challenges because it tramples on local control, violates the state constitution, and insults the intelligence of every New Yorker who values fair elections. Let’s be clear: Democrats are doing this because they cannot beat us at the ballot box in odd-year, local races, especially on Long Island and other suburban communities where common sense still reigns. So, they’re trying to nationalize every election, bury local contests under the chaos of presidential campaigns, and hope the flood of partisan noise will tip the scales in their favor.
Local elections have historically taken place in odd-numbered years so voters can focus on issues that affect their local quality of life without the distraction of the partisan mudslinging and media saturation of a national election. In those elections, Republicans are winning. BIG.
From school board races rejecting radical curricula, to county legislatures demanding public safety and tax relief, conservative candidates across New York are flipping seats and flipping the script. Democrats know that when the issues are local, voters don’t buy their Far-Left agenda. So now, instead of competing on ideas, they’re competing by sabotaging the system. Here in Nassau County, there are over 100,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans and the Grand Ole Party is winning by governing with common sense: fighting crime, funding police, defending girls’ sports, making life more affordable, and providing quality programs while holding the line on taxes.
The bill passed by Albany Democrats will move local elections for county executives, legislators, clerks, town supervisors, and other offices to even-numbered years. They call it a “modernization.” In truth, it’s a rig job, designed to sweep local races into the vortex of national election turnout where big-city Democrat machines can artificially inflate margins. National Democrats spent over $30 million against me in 2024. This isn’t election reform. It’s election manipulation.
Fortunately, several local governments saw right through this and fought back. Multiple lawsuits are already underway, including one filed by multiple counties, which argues that this legislation violates the New York State Constitution. The crux of their argument? The bill strips counties of their home rule authority, infringing on local governments’ right to structure their elections and conduct their business without Albany’s interference. And they’re right. The Home Rule Clause of the New York Constitution guarantees local governments autonomy over their internal affairs, including elections. What Albany Democrats are doing is an aggressive power grab that disrespects the voters and leaders in every city, town, and county across the state. The litigation contends that this law doesn’t apply universally to all local governments but instead unfairly targets certain counties, particularly suburban strongholds where Republicans have had recent success. That selective targeting could make the bill unconstitutional on equal protection and due process grounds as well. Here in Nassau County, Chairman Joseph G. Cairo, Jr. has led the fight and been outspoken, but Democrat judges on all levels, including the Appeals Court, are disregarding our argument and siding with this attempt to rig elections. The courts had an opportunity to stop this lawless scheme, but in this instance, Lady Justice was NOT blind.
Albany Democrats say that this is about increasing turnout—but don’t let them gaslight you. What they’re really saying is: We lose in local races, so we’re going to rig the calendar to hide them under the shadow of national ones. They’re not wrong about turnout. Presidential elections do bring more people to the polls. But what they don’t tell you is that when ballots get too long and convoluted, voters stop paying attention. Research shows that while more people vote in even-year elections, fewer actually complete the entire ballot. Local races, usually at the very bottom, get skipped entirely. So, this isn’t about more informed voting. It’s about swamping local candidates and issues in national noise. It’s about silencing the homeowner who wants to know where their town supervisor stands on property taxes. It’s about burying the parent who cares about what’s being taught in school. It’s about replacing community dialogue with cable news chaos. This move doesn’t enhance democracy: it erodes it.
Let’s not forget: this is the same Albany machine that has gerrymandered congressional lines, rammed through weak bail reform, and declared war on law enforcement. They’ve tried to dilute election safeguards by allowing non-citizens to vote in certain jurisdictions and eliminating common-sense voter ID laws. Now, they’re attacking the very rhythm of our democracy—the calendar itself—because they can’t win within it.
This move is part of a national trend by Democrats who see local government as the last frontier for left wing victories. The Democrats want a one-party state and the best way to do that is to confuse the electorate, drown out local debate, and seize procedural control. It’s the same blueprint we’ve seen in California, Illinois, and now New York.
And it’s no surprise that this latest attack is coming just as Republicans have made major gains in places like Nassau and Suffolk Counties, where voters are fed up with crime, high taxes, and progressive policies that don’t reflect their values.
The Democrat message is loud and clear: If you can’t beat ’em, change the rules.
This isn’t reform. Its fraud dressed up as fairness. n
Congressman Anthony D’Esposito was recently nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Inspector General of the Department of Labor. Previously, he served in Congress, representing New York’s 4th Congressional District. Anthony served as a Councilman in the Town of Hempstead after retiring from the NYPD as a highly decorated Detective. He also served as Chief of the Island Park Fire Department and helped lead the all-volunteer organization’s response to Super-Storm Sandy. The Congressman appears frequently on Fox News, Newsmax, ABC National News, and 77 WABC Sid and Friends in the Morning. To contact, email info@teamdesposito.com.