PRESS STATEMENT

Unite NY Applauds Town of Newburgh for Adopting Ranked Choice Voting

Unite NY commends the Town of Newburgh for adopting ranked choice voting (RCV) for Town Board elections following the resolution of litigation challenging the town’s previous at-large voting system.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of six Black and Hispanic voters, alleged that the at-large system was racially polarized and violated the New York Voting Rights Act (NYVRA). As part of a settlement reached last week, the town agreed to implement ranked choice voting for future Town Board elections.

“Unite NY is proud to support ranked choice voting across New York state, including at the municipal level,” said Anthony Thomas, executive director of Unite NY. “Ranked choice voting strengthens representation by ensuring elected officials earn broad support and better reflect the communities they serve. Moving to RCV in Newburgh is an important step towards fully enfranchising communities which have been historically disempowered, and towards a more inclusive and accountable local government for all the city.”

Unite NY continues to advocate for reforms, including ranked choice voting, term limits, open primaries, citizen ballot initiatives, and more candidates that create election systems that fairly represent all voters.