On March 19, Sleepy Hollow will vote on whether to continue our March village election timing or consolidate village elections with the general election date in November.
In Sleepy Hollow, we love our Tarrytown neighbors but like to make our own choices reflecting our unique village. I can’t help, though, comparing the voter turnout in Tarrytown’s 2022 November village election to ours in March. I reached out to the Westchester Board of Elections and found that 4,604 Tarrytown residents voted in the 2022 November village election. That same year in Sleepy Hollow in March, only 372 voters participated in choosing our village government. Yes, Tarrytown has about a third higher voter registration, but that is still an extraordinary difference in voter participation – over 12x – with a November cycle.
I take my vote seriously no matter when I cast it, even on the Ides of March. But I can’t deny that I’d like to save one trip to the polls. If you agree, I hope you will vote “yes” on the referendum on March 19 and make this the last year any of us make that extra trip.
Char Weigel
Sleepy Hollow, NY