Dear Editor,
Regarding your several articles about the upcoming Sleepy Hollow village elections, I am writing to make sure your readers don’t miss that, in addition to this competitive village trustee race, Sleepy Hollow voters also get a chance to vote on a referendum to move village elections to November when federal and state elections occur.
It’s long overdue that the voters consider this initiative and I strongly support it. Sleepy Hollow is just one of six Westchester municipalities left that continues to administer March elections. Fewer people vote in these elections, especially those who are newcomers to this state and to this region, than in November. In the last trustee-only race in 2022, just 372 residents voted compared to 1293 that same November and 4026 two years prior for the presidential contest. Those who oppose this change might say that village issues will get lost if they don’t have this separate stand-alone election. But I don’t understand why we hold onto a tradition, which adds to village costs that residents pay through already high taxes, when the numbers of voters are so low. Why wouldn’t we want more people to be engaged with village issues at the time they expect to vote anyways and when New York State provides for greater access through nine days of early voting? Why wouldn’t we be on the side of more democracy?
Let’s meet voters where they’re at. Please vote “yes” to move Sleepy Hollow village elections to November and join the rest of Westchester in engaging more citizens in elections at all levels!
Sincerely,
Christine D. Clayton
Sleepy Hollow Village Resident
