Most of the attention on this year’s citywide elections has focused on the mayoral race, but New Yorkers will also vote in November on six proposals. Among these, Proposal 6, which would move New York City’s local elections to presidential years, has gone mostly unnoticed.

Unfortunately, while well-intended, Prop 6 would actually damage voter participation. The proposal would reduce turnout in the local elections that matter, confuse voters, increase the influence of special interest money, hobble the Board of Elections, and even potentially expose some of our neighbors to deportation.

Proponents of Prop 6 argue that turnout is higher in presidential elections than in local ones, and that cities like Phoenix have successfully increased turnout by making these election cycles coincide.

But New York City is not Phoenix. The latter city is sharply split along party lines. Other places that have adopted similar measures, such as Los Angeles, have nonpartisan local elections. In these cities, general elections are decisive. New York, on........

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