The 2025 General Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025 with early voting running from October 25–November 2, 2025. Since it is an odd-numbered year, most races on the ballot will be for local municipal elections, including local mayors and judges. To find a list of the races that are being contested in your area, you can visit here to find information from your local county board of elections, which will list the elections in your area.
In addition to the local municipal elections, there is a proposed amendment to the New York State Constitution that will be on the ballot this year related to allowing for recreational activities on State-owned forest preserve land at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County. To amend the New York State Constitution, there is a multi-year process required. Any proposed Constitutional amendment must pass two separately elected Legislatures. This means that the amendment must be introduced as a bill and passed by the Legislature in one legislative cycle. Then, the amendment must be introduced and passed again by the next Legislature in a subsequent legislative cycle. The legislative cycles are measured in two-year increments that coincide with the elections cycle for the New York State legislature. Only after the Legislature passes the amendment for the second time will the amendment go on the ballot for a statewide voter referendum. If the amendment is approved by a majority of voters, it will be incorporated into the Constitution.
The proposed Constitutional amendment on the ballot this year relates to allowing recreational activities on State owned forest preserve land. Per the New York State Constitution, State-owned lands that are in an areas designated as forest preserve cannot be developed. The proposed amendment relates to 1,039 acres of land located at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex located in the town of North Elba in Essex County, New York. This land is in the Adirondack Forest preserve. While the land is already developed, it was done without official approval through a Constitutional amendment. This proposed Constitutional amendment will correct this wrong and protect the development that has already been done. In addition to protecting this development, the amendment will also require the State to add an additional 2,500 acres to the Adirondack Forest preserve to ensure the Adirondack Forest preserve remains robust and protected. The New York State Legislature will approve this offset if the Constitutional amendment is approved.
On your ballot, a “yes” vote for the Constitutional amendment will authorize ski trails and the related facilities at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex. A vote “no” for the Constitutional amendment will not authorize ski trails and the related facilities at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex. If approved by the voters, the amendment would take effect on January 1, 2026.
If you are a voter in New York City, in addition to the New York State Constitutional amendment on the ballot, you will see five additional ballot initiatives that would amend the New York City charter. The first ballot initiative would fast track affordable housing, the second would expedite the land use review procedure, the third would create the affordable housing appeals board, the fourth would modernize the City map and the fifth would move local New York City Elections to even years. For more information on these five ballot initiatives, you can visit here.
If you have additional questions about this update, please reach out to a member of our Government Affairs practice group for assistance.