Nov. 3, 2025

 

To the Community:

 

As someone who has lived in Bronxville for many years and cares deeply about our small but special village, I’ve been following the effort to move our local elections from March to November. At first, it sounds harmless — who wouldn’t want more voter participation or convenience? But when you look closer, this proposal isn’t about improving democracy. It’s about changing the rules after losing a fair race.

 

Here’s what actually happened. In 2025, Bronxville had a contested local election for the first time in several years, and turnout jumped to nearly 30% — about three times higher than in prior elections. When voters have a real choice and candidates reach out to the community, people show up. The system works. The issue isn’t when we vote — it’s how much effort candidates make to engage their neighbors.

 

It’s also worth noting that the group now pushing to move elections to November is the same group that lost that contested race. Instead of continuing to build support locally, they’re trying to fold our elections into the national calendar, where local issues will get lost among presidential politics and party noise. That’s not civic reform — that’s political convenience.

 

Supporters argue that November elections would bring early voting and mail-in options. What they don’t mention is that Bronxville residents can already vote by mail through the simple absentee ballot process we’ve had for years. Our current system already gives everyone who wants to vote the opportunity to do so — without handing our village elections over to the county or to Albany.

 

And let’s be honest: all of these so-called “improvements” we’ve seen at the national level — early voting, mail-in ballots, weeks-long election seasons — haven’t exactly made politics more civil, more trusted, or more effective. If those changes haven’t improved Washington, why should we think they’ll improve Bronxville?

 

Our March elections are one of the few times each year when we can focus entirely on what matters here — our taxes, our zoning, our schools, and our shared quality of life. Bronxville is a unique ecosystem — a balance of community, school, and property values that all work together to make this such a special place to live. That balance exists because our residents stay informed and involved, and because our elections are local and nonpartisan.

 

Moving our elections to November would turn them into an afterthought, buried beneath campaign ads and partisan talking points. Bronxville has always taken pride in running independent, community-driven elections — neighbors talking to neighbors, not parties fighting for power.

 

We don’t need Albany or Washington deciding how our village votes. We just need to keep doing what’s worked for generations: showing up, listening, and choosing leaders who care about our community.

 

Bronxville may only be one square mile, but it’s ours. Let’s keep it that way — local, independent, and accountable to the people who actually live here.

 

Let’s keep our elections local, focused, and fair. Vote NO on moving Bronxville’s elections to November.

 

Sincerely,

Rob Deichert Jr.

Bronxville Resident - Born, Raised, Returned