The commission proposing changes to the city's charter is not expected to support placing nonpartisan elections on the November ballot when it meets Wednesday, a setback for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spent $7 million in a failed attempt to get voters to pass a similar measure in 2003.
The proposal under consideration by the commission, known as "top two", would allow candidates from any party to run in a primary, with the top-two vote-getters squaring off in a general election. A majority of the 15 commissioners support the idea of opening up primary elections to voters and candidates of any political stripe, commissioners say, but only two have been vocal in getting the issue on the ballot this year.
"A vote on nonpartisan will not be called," said one commissioner who has favored the proposal this year, Stephen Fiala. "This issue will not have any significant role in tomorrow's vote."
Mr. Bloomberg has signaled to the commissioners that he will no longer push for them to get the issue onto the ballot, a source close to the commission said. Commissioners have voiced concern about putting any issue on the ballot they believe might get voted down in November. They fear that opposition to one issue could tank other proposals on the ballot. Supporters say they do not have enough time to make their case to the public before Election Day.
"Virtually all, if not all [of the commissioners] are in favor of some version of non-partisan elections," said one commissioner, Hope Cohen. She says she believes nonpartisan elections are needed but is unclear whether the top-two model is the way to go. "The question is timing."
Over the weekend, Rev. Al Sharpton came out against the issue. Mr. Sharpton said nonpartisan elections would give an edge to wealthy, self-financed candidates who do not need party support. He told reporters on Sunday that the current system has helped minorities get elected to public office and gives preference to candidates who have come up through--and been vetted by--local political party chiefs.
That logic doesn't add up say proponents of the measure.
"Our closed partisan election system already produced a self-financed candidate who has run for mayor three times," said Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union, a good-government group. Mr. Dadey adds that nonpartisan special elections have increased voter turnout by 57%. "When given a choice among candidates, voters are more likely to turn out in higher rates in special elections."
Any change to the charter, however, must first comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. The charter review group has commissioned a study to examine whether top-two voting would impair minorities to elect the candidate of their choice. But the analysis is not expected to be ready by Wednesday.
"I don't know how the commission can make up its mind [on nonpartisan elections] without the election analysis," said one commissioner.
The commission is expected to put other issues on the ballot. Foremost is a new term-limits law. Mr. Bloomberg created the commission to make good on a promise to bring term limits back to the voters after the City Council, at the mayor's urging, reversed a voter-approved term-limits law, effectively giving city elected officials a third term. The exact language of the proposal will not be hashed out Wednesday, but the commission is expected to approve the proposal.
The commission is also expected to ask voters whether they want to consolidate government and tighten the city's conflict of interest laws to guard against government fraud and abuse by elected officials and other government employees.
