Overview

• The Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the 2023 law, with Judge Michael Garcia authoring the opinion that the statute is a neutral change in timing.
• The decision reverses a lower court ruling and rejects a delay, meaning many local officials elected to two-year terms this year will face reelection in 2026.
• The law covers numerous town and county offices but excludes district attorneys and all city-level posts, which are governed by the state constitution.
• Republican-led counties argued the change was a partisan scheme, while Democrats said it would increase participation; Gov. Kathy Hochul called the ruling a victory for voters.
• New York City keeps odd-year cycles for now, with a November ballot question on aligning to presidential years that would still require a multi-step constitutional amendment process, with any change possible no earlier than late 2027.