A Charter Revision Commission formed by then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to hold its first public meeting on April 20th, marking the beginning of a process that could reignite debate over the city’s election system.
The 13-member commission will meet at the Midtown Manhattan offices of former First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who is also providing pro bono legal support through his firm, Dechert LLP. The group plans to review possible amendments to the City Charter, including a proposal to shift New York City’s municipal elections toward open or non-partisan primary elections.
Under such a system, all registered voters could participate in primary contests regardless of party affiliation — including unaffiliated, independent voters. Supporters of the proposal argue it would broaden voter participation, while critics contend it could reshape the city’s political balance and disadvantage candidates aligned with progressive movements.
Yiatin Chu, President of Asian Wave Alliance, said in a statement, “The Charter Revision Commission must place open primaries on the ballot as a referendum. New York City’s outdated closed primary system is a blatant form of voter suppression that shuts out over 1 million independent and unaffiliated voters from having any say in who runs our city. These voters pay taxes, obey the laws, and live with the consequences of decisions made in taxpayer-funded primaries they are forbidden to join. The fastest-growing segment of our electorate is registering as independents or unaffiliated — and in many Asian districts, nearly one-third of registered voters are not affiliated with any party. Last year, just 1.07 million Democrats voted in the mayoral primary, yet an equal number of unaffiliated New Yorkers were completely locked out. That is unacceptable. If we truly believe in democracy and fair representation, we cannot continue excluding one in five New York City voters from the elections that matter most. It is time to open our primaries to all registered voters”
The commission is preparing to hold a series of public hearings across the city in the coming months, signaling its intent to proceed with evaluating potential ballot proposals that could ultimately reach voters.
According to a public notice issued under Section 104 of the New York Public Officers Law and the state’s Open Meetings Law, the Charter Revision Commission will hold its first public meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2026, at Dechert LLP, 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036.
Members of the public may attend in person by presenting identification at the lobby security desk for access to the 28th-floor reception area.
The meeting will also be accessible virtually via Microsoft Teams at: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/29242241020847?p=xHPCrB1feEuHlM1ryX
Meeting ID 292 422 410 208 47
Passcode BV3jK2i3.
The notice states the meeting will be open to the public but not a forum for public testimony, and no public comments will be taken. The location is wheelchair accessible, and reasonable accommodations will be provided upon advance request. For further information, the commission can be contacted at [email protected].
