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Your tax dollars paid for the primary elections — even if you didn’t cast a ballot
Primary elections across Nassau and Suffolk counties came with a price tag that every Long Island taxpayer helped cover — whether they voted, weren’t eligible to vote, or simply chose to stay home. And political analyst Mike Dawidziak says that reality raises a fairness problem that New Yorkers shouldn’t ignore.
Closed primaries, but publicly funded
New York operates under a closed primary system, meaning only registered Democrats and Republicans can participate in their party’s contests. Yet the cost of running those elections — from staffing polling sites to printing ballots and operating voting machines — is paid for by all taxpayers, including independents and members of smaller parties who have no access to the ballot.
Dawidziak says that mismatch leaves many Long Islanders paying for a process they’re shut out of. “Everyone who pays taxes paid for the primaries, but everyone can’t take part,” he said, arguing that the system doesn’t give taxpayers full value for what they’re funding.
Millions spent across Long Island
In Nassau County, online budget records show more than $2.9 million was allocated to administer the primary election. That figure includes staffing, equipment, ballot printing, and other operational costs.
Suffolk County has not yet released its final spending totals, and its budget documents do not break out primary election costs as clearly. County officials say they will provide updated numbers once all ballots are processed and certified.
Ballots still arriving
The New York State Board of Elections says Tuesday is the final day for absentee, military, and overseas ballots to arrive and be counted. Once those ballots are tallied, counties will finalize turnout numbers — which analysts expect to be low, as is typical for summer primaries.
A debate that keeps resurfacing
The issue has reignited a long‑running debate on Long Island:
Should taxpayer‑funded elections be open to all taxpayers?
Supporters of closed primaries argue that political parties should control who chooses their nominees. Critics counter that if public money is paying for the process, the public should have access to the ballot — especially in a state where independents make up a large share of voters.
Dawidziak says the frustration is understandable. “People want to feel like they’re getting value for what they pay,” he noted, adding that the current system leaves many feeling excluded from decisions that shape the November ballot.
What comes next
As Nassau and Suffolk finalize their election costs and turnout numbers, the conversation about who gets to participate — and who doesn’t — is likely to intensify heading into the general election season. With Long Island residents already facing some of the highest taxes in the state, the question of whether closed primaries serve the public interest is expected to remain a hot topic.
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