(This story was updated to include the latest unofficial tallies from the Westchester Board of Elections.)
Village of Pelham Manor residents approved moving their village’s elections from March to November, according to unofficial Westchester Board of Elections results updated as of 2:41 a.m. Wednesday.
The ballot initiative to shift the Manor election date, called Proposition 3, received 1,738 “yes” votes to 1,492 “no” votes with 3,230 ballots cast, the board of elections website said. The result was 54% in favor versus 46% against Prop 3.
Proposition 3 read:
“Shall the General Village Election of the Village of Pelham Manor be held annually on the Tuesday next succeeding the first Monday in November and be conducted by the Westchester County Board of Elections, with the term of office of each elected Village Officer currently holding office extended so as to terminate at noon on the first Monday in December in the year in which their term of office would otherwise expire, upon which date the term of office of any subsequently-elected Village Officer will commence?”
Erica Winter, an organizer of the petition drive that put the referendum on the ballot, said in an email statement Wednesday, “Pelham Manor’s message is clear: We believe in full voter participation. Moving village elections to November empowers all our neighbors to have a voice in our local issues. Making voting more accessible and convenient makes our village government more representative and accountable.”
Three Democratic candidates for the Village of Pelham Board of Trustees running unopposed were confirmed in their bids for two-year terms. They received the following vote totals:
- Hanan Eldahry (incumbent): 2,243
- Russell Solomon (incumbent): 2,223
- Krystal Howell: 2,335
The Village of Pelham board has seven members and will remain all Democratic.
Town of Pelham Justice John Gardner received 4,746 votes in his reelection bid on the Democratic line. He was also unopposed.
Proposition 3 arrived on the ballot after a courtroom battle this summer.
Winter, co-chairwoman of the Move the Manor Village Election Committee, delivered an 801-signature petition calling for the referendum on July 1 to Pelham Manor Village Manager Lindsey Luft, who in her role as village clerk reviewed and rejected the petition four days later. Winter and Pelham Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Allison Frost won a reversal in state court. The Pelham Manor Board of Trustees, Luft and the Republican county election commissioner lost an appeal of that decision, and the four-judge appellate panel sent the issue to the voters of the Manor to decide.
The all-Republican village board opposed moving the municipality’s elections to November, while the Pelham Democratic Town Committee backed the change.
Carla Romita Eccleston • Nov 7, 2024 at 4:29 am
Congratulations to Jennifer and Erica for organizing a successful campaign to bring the vote to the people!