Elections

New York’s highest court yesterday upheld the state’s Even Year Election Law, will take effect immediately for the 2025 election cycle, with even-year local elections beginning in 2026.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine were joined by officials from Long Island towns and villages, including Riverhead, to slam the even-year elections law, which they say is a politically motivated power grab by a state government run amuck under one-party rule and domination by New York City.

Voters approved the Riverhead Free Library budget April 8 by a vote of 200 to 193, according to library Director Kerrie McMullen-Smith.

The Riverhead Town Board passed a local law Tuesday night requiring elections for town supervisor, town council members and other local officials be held in odd-numbered years.

A state court judge in Syracuse last week voided the state's Even Year Election Law. Riverhead Town is now considering a local law requiring odd-year elections for town offices.

Voter ID laws play a positive role in maintaining the integrity of our electoral process. We must ensure every American's vote counts and that our elections are fair and transparent.

Voters approved Riverhead Free Library’s 2024-2025 budget yesterday and elected Mary Byrne McDonell, Mitchell Hagler and Susan Bergmann to the library's board of trustees.

The transition to even-numbered years for local elections will mean shorter terms for local officials elected in 2025 and 2027 and creates issues with Riverhead Town's term-limits code. Some officials worry local issues will be 'drowned out' in even-numbered years.

Anything we can do as a community to promote volunteer recruitment and retention is worth the effort and expense. The alternative to a volunteer fire department is exponentially more costly.

The upcoming school district election will fill four open seats on the Riverhead Board of Education: three positions that will be vacant at the end of the school year as a result of the expiration of terms of office and a fourth seat that became vacant when board member Laurie Downs resigned this week.