By Mary Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Oct. 13, 2026: Many of you have reached out to me following last week’s column asking for more specifics about moving Village elections from March to November.

The following is a result of my summer research on the topic and I send in the spirit of Justice Ginsburg who said, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

I will incorporate my views partially based on the five-point flyer disseminated by the Democratic Party as reasons for the change, and I do this with respect and understanding for my friends and fellow villagers who have a different view on this topic but are willing to engage as well.

The Democratic Party Flyer States that Moving the Election is a Money Saver For Villagers, But This is Incorrect

Currently, villagers send over $8.3 million to the county every year as our portion of the countywide budget. The county currently pays for all of our elections out of this fun, with no expenses coming from your local Village tax bill. To put it in perspective, if you added up absolutely every cost of a local election, it would be $15,419. Extrapolating that cost from the county budget of $2.5 billion, including our $8.3 million contribution, the savings per household would be in coins not dollars.

The Democratic Flyer States That Moving the Local Election to November Will Result in More Ease of Voting, But This is Incorrect

A relatively new and not well-publicized law in New York State now makes it much more convenient to vote in March as well as in November because there is not only the absentee ballot option, but also a “no excuse” absentee voting option.

As a result, a voter can simply call a phone number, which the Village will provide, and have a ballot sent to your home, your vacation location or anywhere you choose if you prefer not to come out in person in March with no excuse needed.

You can also apply online, come in person to the Board of Elections in White Plains, or even authorize someone to pick up your ballot. You can do any of the above starting on January 1 of the March election year and the ballot will be mailed at least 30 days before the election to any location you desire.

The Democratic Flyer States that Moving the Election From March to November Will Enhance Community Involvement, but this is Incorrect

To keep Bronxville government on its current path, government service should appeal to the best and the brightest candidates who are committed to getting involved in Bronxville and Bronxville issues with no national or state political agenda beyond our one square mile.

This kind of volunteer focus has served us well for 125+ years, and the talent attracted has kept our village an oasis of stability in a county rife with constant change and divisiveness.

1) Villagers Become Part of Local Government to Serve the Community

I know for certain that all of my colleagues over the past decades have gotten involved in Village government strictly as a public service to our community as we are the only community in the entire county who does not offer even a small salary to residents to share their time and talent.

2) A Cumbersome and Elongated Campaign Process Will Disincentivize Highly Qualified Candidates

Moving the election to November requires a candidate to be chosen in April with petitions requiring 100+ signatures, thus obligating a villager who wants to offer their volunteer services to campaign for half a year every two years perhaps against a friend or neighbor. If two people are interested, they also must undergo a primary. I cannot imagine anyone actively welcoming this scenario.

I know we would lose many capable candidates due to the cumbersome and elongated process. As point of fact, currently a volunteer candidate is nominated in the last week of January with approximately a six-week period prior to the March election

The Democratic Flyers Asserts That Moving the Election to November Will Result in More Voters Coming Out for the Election and Therefore a Stronger Village, but this is Incorrect

I appreciate that more voters come out in November, but I don’t see the connect that more voters by definition increases the strength of the Village.

1) Data has supported that the more candidates one sees on the ballot and the more decisions to be made significantly increases the tendency to abstain or rely on decision shortcuts such as voting for the first line of candidates or your normal status party line voting, not necessarily what is best for a local community nor the most informed choice on electing the persons most likely to impact spending of the majority of your taxes and deciding the services affecting your daily life.

This is the reason why our neighbor to the north, Canada, holds national, provincial and local elections on separate days. Canadian ballots are strictly limited to one localized choice per election event, ensuring that highly needed and localized debates not get drowned out by massive national campaigns and non-local issues.

2) Our separate school board elections in New York State operate under the same theory that the best candidates should be elected without great partisan noise. Voting for school board candidates keep the issues focus solely on education; voting for Trustees in March keeps the focus solely on Village issues.

3) Data has proven that down ballot voting becomes much more partisan. National political cleavage is already shaping too many local governments. We don’t have it here, and I believe we need to keep it that way.

Localism is a Cherished Principle, a Cornerstone of Democracy.

A concept so named as “voter fatigue” also takes effect when a ballot is too long. This was proven in our Village just last year when this referendum was on the ballot as 45 voters did not turn the page over to vote on any of the referendums.

The concept of “Home Rule” was so important to the founders of New York State that is has its own constitutional provision granting municipalities the power to govern without undo interference from state or national influence.

This provision has served Bronxville for 125 years and I believe to enormous benefit.

We cannot allow the very real divisions in party alliances at this moment in time in Washington to dictate the future of our very special Village.

Bronxville needs to continue to vote for the person, not the party.