Nirenberg makes another attempt to move council elections to November

Councilman Ron Nirenberg is once again pushing the idea of moving local elections to November as a way of increasing voter participation.

A little more than a year ago, he suggested that municipal elections should move from May in odd-numbered years to November in even-numbered years to increase voter participation.

He floated the idea, sought support from colleagues and state lawmakers, and then nothing happened. Making the change would require amending the city’s charter — something that can’t be done until after the May 6 election next year.

But the councilman has circled back and taken more steps to prioritize the issue, filing paperwork that puts the issue squarely in the City Council’s lap.

Nirenberg’s “Council Consideration Request,” the process council members use to bring issues forward to the governing body, has support from colleagues Roberto Treviño, Rey Saldaña, Cris Medina and Mike Gallagher. Nirenberg has pushed for the change because he’s seeking larger voter participation.

The differences between May municipal elections and November general elections are stark.

But opponents, like Councilman Joe Krier, say the move would be harmful in a number of ways. Krier, who declined to sign Nirenberg’s CCR, said local candidates would be forced to take public stands on partisan issues, like border walls, abortion and taxpayer-funded college education.

“I think it would ensure council races becoming more partisan very quickly, and I don’t think that’s a good thing,” Krier said.