06/04/2026
The village of Bayville on New York's Long Island is facing a highly unusual mayoral election this month because not a single candidate registered to run for the office. Current Mayor Steve Minicozzi announced in April that he would not seek reelection, and election officials confirmed that no one stepped forward to take his place. On June 16, residents of the community of 7,000 will head to the polls to cast their votes using entirely blank ballots. Former Mayor Doug Watson noted that the position is difficult to fill because it is highly time-consuming and only offers a small annual stipend of about $5,000. Because the election will be entirely decided by write-in votes, officials warn that a candidate could theoretically win the mayor's seat with just a small handful of votes from friends. Former mayoral candidate John Taylor has already expressed his willingness to serve the community if he manages to secure enough of those write in votes.
A village on New York's Long Island is facing a highly unusual mayoral election after no candidates registered to run for the office.