Ridgewood Residents Pushing For 1 Local Election In November

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A group of residents has started a grassroots movement to push for all municipal elections to be held in November.

The group wants the April school budget and Board of Education and May Village Council elections held in November on Election Day with the county, state, and federal races.

The group cited security concerns, cost, and getting more people to vote as reasons why the change should be made. They launched a website, onevillageonevote.com, to inform others of their position.

"Consolidating Ridgewood's election cycle will allow us to increase voter participation, reduce election costs significantly, and decrease movement around schools while students are in session," said Siobhan Crann Winograd, one of the residents petitioning officials for the change. "Consolidation is a trifecta for Ridgewood."

In the previous three local election cycles, voter turnout was 20 percent in 2014, 37 percent in 2016, and 27 percent in 2018, according to the group.

"We know for a fact that turnout is higher in November general elections than in April or May elections," said Matt Lindenberg, another resident petitioning for the change. "I think the community is better served when you have a greater cross-section of voters coming out to elect like-minded representatives, whether it is the Village Council or Board of Education."

Different people come out to vote in elections if they are held at different times, Lindenberg said.

"I think the people who come out during off-cycle elections are the people who are close to a particular issue," Lindenberg said. "In November, I think you get a better sampling of people across the village."

Village Manager Heather Milander analyzed the voter turnouts from 2007 to 2017. It showed that an average of 21 percent of registered voters vote in April school elections. In November, during general elections, the average is 16 percent, Milander's analysis showed.

The group also said that because "thousands of registered voters" go to village schools to vote while schools are in session.

"We feel that a better approach would be to hold our local elections on one day — the traditional November Election Day," the group said. "Eliminating off-cycle election days will help ensure that our students are safer."

Each election costs about $50,000, Lindenberg said.

"It just seems like an unnecessary expense to have members of the community come out three times for local elections," Lindenberg said.

The Village Council last year voted to move the Board of Education election from November back to April.

Moving the election back to April meant residents vote on the school district's budget, a right they lost five years ago when the election was moved to November.

Related: Ridgewood Council Moves School Board Election Back To April

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com