- By Dan Veaner
- News
Print 
2005 ElectionsLansing voters showed up at the polls this Tuesday (11/08) to elect State and local officials. On the ballot were seats for two Town Council members, a Town Justice, County legislators, County District Attorney, State Supreme Court Judge and two State propositions. On the local level Republican Bud Shattuck regained his seat on the Town Board with 1133 votes. Matthew Besemer, also a Republican, won the seat being vacated by Doug McEver by garnering 1253 votes. Democratic Challenger Gregory Lawrence lost the race, but not by much. He got 997 votes. Judge William Burin, a Democrat, got 1450 votes, gaining a fourth term as Town Justice. He ran unopposed.
Lansing candidates for County Legislature also represented this split. In the Village of Lansing, which shares a representative with part of the Town of Ithaca and Cayuga Heights, Democratic incumbent Dooley Kiefer got almost twice the votes of her Republican challenger, Cliff Buck. She won the election 910 to 516. But in the Town of Lansing Mike Sigler won with 903 votes to Democrat Hurf Sheldon's 809, a close race that challenges the idea that the Town is a Republican enclave.
In a surprise over-turn Democrat Gwen Wilkinson beat incumbent District Attorney George Dentes 10,986 to 9099. This culminated a hotly contested race between the candidates. Lansing voters chose Dentes 1305 to 1085, but Wilkinson garnered more votes in other municipalities.
The first of two State measures was defeated. It would have amended the State constitution to make a contingency budget automatically take effect if a budget is late. It would have shifted power from the Governor to the legislature, something the voters did not want. Lansing voters agreed with the rest of the State, with 860 against and 710 for.
The second proposition is a $2.9 billion transportation bond proposal that passed State wide, and also in Lansing 963-715. Half the money goes to the New york City Transit Authority for subway expansion while the rest goes to the State Department of Transportation, where much of the money will go to repair expressways and parkways near New York City. NY City has 40% of the State's registered voters.
Voter turnout is always less in local races than it is when a major State or Federal office is involved. Over the past six years Lansing's turnout has mirrored this trend. 38.44% of registered Lansing voters turned out on Tuesday, compared to last year's Presidential election, when 81% showed up to vote. That was better than the State average of 61.2% last year, when New York State ranked 27th in voter turnout.
Even though there were no local offices in the 2004 election the turnout was double this year, when several offices that directly affect Lansing residents were up for grabs. Would the results have been different if more Lansing residents had voted?
Voter Turnout 2000-2005 |
| 2005 - 38.44% - 2 Town Councilmen, Town Justice 2004 - 87% - Presidential, no Lansing offices 2003 - 35% Supervisor, Clerk, Highway Superintendent, 2 Town Councilmen, Town Justice 2002 - 63% State offices including Governor 2001 - 31% Supervisor, Clerk, Highway Superintendent, 2 Town Councilmen, Town Justice 2000 - 82% Presidential, 1 Town Councilman |
----
v1i17