Buffalo election reform commission is running out of time for November ballot

Buffalo’s Charter Revision Commission is still considering changes to how city elections work, but it has not finished the package yet. A June 18 memorandum outlines three main ideas: cutting petition-signature requirements, allowing semi-open primaries for city offices, and using ranked-choice voting.

The memo says ranked-choice voting for Buffalo city offices would likely be legally workable, while a semi-open primary system could face a constitutional challenge. In its June 18 minutes, the commission’s chair said the goal was to hold a final vote by the end of the month.

Why the deadline matters

Spectrum News reported the commission wanted to finalize what goes on the ballot by July 20 at the latest. Buffalo’s agenda page also shows the group was still meeting on June 24. The Erie County Board of Elections must receive referendum language by August 3 for it to make the November ballot.

Investigative Post reported on June 25 that the commission had failed to agree on the ranked-choice and semi-open primary proposals and appeared to be running out of time. If the commission misses the window, the reforms would likely wait for a later cycle.

Sources

• City of Buffalo Charter Revision Commission landing page
• Spectrum News 1 Buffalo report on charter changes
• Investigative Post report on Buffalo election reform deadline pressure