According to this article, leaders of the New York legislature have expressed opposition to changing the September primary date for non-federal primary elections. Yet the New York City Board of Elections says a September primary for Mayor this year will cause great problems, because there isn’t enough time for a September primary and then a run-off primary.
According to Michael Drucker’s The Independent View, the State Board of Elections is now thinking seriously about using Instant-Runoff Voting for New York city mayoral primaries. The law requires a run-off primary if no one gets at least 40% of the vote in the primary itself.
What EVIL monster from math MORON Hell dreamed up IRV for single offices ???
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P.R. and Nonpartisan App.V.
Some board members from NYC and the state are leaning to a hand count of the runoff vote. The current upgrade of the scanner software is due April. Some of the changes in this upgrade was approved by the courts over a year ago. And there is also the preclearance requirement.
The US Justice Department is capable of making a snap decision on preclearance, when there is a good reason to rush the decision.
#3 Top 2 would eliminate the problem. NYC already uses it for city council special elections.
New York City does not use top-two for city council special elections. In New York city, the first election is an election.
#5 New York City already conducts elections in which all candidates without regard to party affiliation appear on a single ballot, and there are no party nominations.
Under a Top 2 system, there is a first (primary) election in which all candidates run. The Top 2 advance to a second election. In some variations, the second election is cancelled if a candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary.
Either version would eliminate the problem that New York City is encountering.
Can you really seriously argue that the alternatives being suggested in New York City: (a) move the primary to June; or (b) do away with the substantial support for a party nomination, are realistic options.
#6-Did you mean in NYC Special Elections are non-partisan. All other primary elections are closed to only party members. If no one gets 40%+, then there is a run-off with the top-two candidates. These run-offs tend to have a small turn-out. Since NYC is Democratic, the winner of a run-off usually wins in the Gerneral.
The eight candidates for City Council District 31 (Queens) special election represent:
Rebuild Now, The Forward, Community Unity, People’s Relief, Grand Coalition, Better Service, Common Values, and Organize Now.
There were no partisan primaries to nominate these candidates.
It is no great leap to use a similar system for the mayoral election, but to have the Top 2 advance from a September primary to the November general election.