Odd-year elections keep turnout low on purpose. Miami can stop rewarding that | Opinion

The effort to move city of Miami elections to even-numbered years will finally be placed before voters this August. While the process was at times complicated and controversial, the reform itself has enjoyed broad community support for more than a decade.

From the beginning, the goal was simple: increase voter participation by aligning city elections with federal and statewide election cycles, where turnout can approach 70%, and accomplish that reform as soon as legally and practically possible.

I ran on a platform of reform and have consistently championed measures to improve transparency, strengthen public trust, reduce corruption and increase civic participation. I successfully led the passage of lifetime term limits in Miami, a voter-approved reform designed to prevent career politicians from endlessly cycling through office. Together with the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes, I also helped secure voter approval for an independent inspector general to strengthen oversight and accountability in City Hall.

Moving city elections to even years is another important part of that same reform agenda. Higher-turnout elections reduce the influence of low-turnout, special-interest politics and ensure more residents have a voice in decisions that shape our city.

Unfortunately, inaccurate and at times politically motivated reporting created the false impression that Miami “cancelled” elections last year or that commissioners arbitrarily chose whether to add or subtract years from their terms. That was never true.

Under the city charter, Miami cannot simply cancel elections. Elections can only be moved. Last summer, we passed an ordinance to move the 2025 city elections to 2026 and hold future elections in even-numbered years. The Commission acted based on legal guidance from the city attorney while following approaches used by other municipalities. Given the highly litigious nature of this issue, we pursued what was considered the most legally defensible path.

The circumstances surrounding this reform also became unusually complicated. Had it not been for Reyes’ unfortunate illness and passing last April, the city likely would have had sufficient time to place the proposal before voters earlier and avoid many of the complications that followed.

Once the courts ruled against the ordinance, the Commission shifted toward placing the issue directly before voters as quickly as possible. However, shortening the term of someone already elected creates significant legal vulnerabilities. Based on guidance from the city attorney, that reality effectively eliminated implementation by 2028.

Beyond the legal concerns, reducing a four-year term to three years is also disruptive to governance itself. It forces elected officials into campaign mode sooner, shortens the time available to govern effectively, and creates instability for long-term planning and policymaking. A shortened term is inherently more disruptive than a temporary extension necessary to complete a lawful transition.

From there, the remaining options became transitioning to even-year elections in either 2030 or 2032. That would have required adding or removing a year from commissioners’ terms and may have derailed the chances of the reform getting on the ballot. After months of misinformation surrounding claims of “cancelled elections,” “extra years,” and “extra salaries,” neither option proved viable.

That ultimately left 2034 as the only workable path that preserved the reform itself while allowing voters to decide the issue democratically.

This is how democracy works: public debate, legal scrutiny, disagreement, compromise and ultimately voters having the final say.

Miami never cancelled an election. Commissioners did not invent the legal framework surrounding this transition. Attorneys provided legal guidance, and the Commission worked within those constraints to preserve and advance a reform that had failed to reach the ballot for more than a decade.

At the end of the day, the most important outcome remains intact: Miami voters will finally have the opportunity to decide in August whether city elections should move to even-numbered years, dramatically increasing participation, reducing special-interest influence and strengthening local democracy.

Meaningful reform is rarely easy. But despite the controversy and challenges, this effort succeeded in preserving a long-overdue reform and placing the final decision where it belongs — in the hands of Miami voters.

Damian Pardo represents District 2 on the Miami City Commission.