New York’s shift to even-year local elections will reshape when local leaders in Monroe County stand for re-election, including all of the county's town supervisors.
A state law signed in 2023 and upheld in court last week requires town and county elections to shift from odd-numbered to even-numbered years. Lawmakers say the goal is to boost voter turnout by aligning local races with higher-profile state and national elections.
But the shift also means a one-time adjustment in term lengths across Monroe County’s towns. Two-year offices elected in 2025 will serve one-year terms, ending in 2026. Four-year offices will serve three-year terms, expiring in 2028.
After that, all town and county offices will return to their regular cycles and be up for re-election in even years.
The law affects town supervisors, clerks, council members, highway superintendents, and other elected town offices, as well as county legislators.
All 19 of Monroe County’s town supervisor seats are up for election this year, meaning each will have a shortened term. For 18 of the supervisors elected this year, that means they will serve a one-year term and run again in 2026. For the town supervisor in Greece, it means a traditionally four-year term will be shortened to three, and that office will be up for re-election in 2028.
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello was re-elected to a four-year term in 2023, so the adjustment won’t kick in until the next term – meaning whoever is elected in 2027 will serve a three-year term, officials said.
A full list of offices and term lengths is available from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
Several offices are notably exempt from this shift. City of Rochester positions, including the mayor, city council, and school board, are not covered by the law, and village elections remain unchanged. The county sheriff, district attorney, town justices and other judicial offices are also excluded because their terms are fixed in the state constitution.
Early voting in Monroe County begins Saturday, October 25 and runs through Sunday, November 2 at select polling locations. Election day is Tuesday, November 4.
