A bill to move elections for local municipal offices outside New York City to even-numbered years to coincide with presidential and gubernatorial races will die in the state Legislature when session ends this week.

Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed issues with the bill, which remains in the Senate and Assembly election committees. 

Democrats posed changing state election law to hold local elections in even-numbered years with significant federal and statewide races that correspond with naturally higher voter turnout. Republican leaders have blasted the measure, accusing Democrats of manipulating elections and trying to maintain their one-party majority control in all branches of the state Legislature.

State Assemblymember Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, confirmed Tuesday the measure will neither advance nor be sent to the governor's desk this year.

"It's accurate we'd have more people voting if we put local elections in even years, but many people, Republicans and Democrats, say it doesn't give the same depth ... and people are going to be deprived of that debate of what's happening locally," Paulin said. "We're going to wait. I'm advocating for hearings so we can really wrap our arms around it."

Lawmakers hold legislative hearings when session stands at ease in the summer or late fall as part of thoroughly researching an issue to bring up the following year.

The proposed law will be amended to exclude villages.

"We're going to amend the bill, but we're not moving the bill," Paulin added.

Dozens of state Republican leaders, including New York Republican Committee Chair Nick Langworthy, gathered in West Capitol Park on Tuesday afternoon condemning the proposed legislation and calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto the bill if it reached her desk.

"Hands off our elections," Langworthy exclaimed. "They want to lump our local elections in with presidential and gubernatorial elections so they would be completely drowned out and all the local issues would be silenced that affect our communities the most."

Langworthy said local candidates would not be able to fairly compete with national or state-level campaigns.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, sharply criticized his Senate colleague Sen. James Skoufis for sponsoring the bill at the end of session amid a need to tackle more important issues, including public safety.

"Don't anyone fall for the line that this is about voter turnout," Ortt said. "If that's true, Sen. Skoufis is saying voters are either too dumb or too lazy to come out every year and vote. Right now there's this myth that people can't vote or figure it out. Who is kidding who?

"This is about cementing permanent one-party control and circumventing the will of the people and brazenly so," Ortt continued.

Senate sponsor Sen. James Skoufis, D-Woodbury, clapped back at Ortt's accusations on Twitter later Tuesday.

Lawmakers agreed to amend and revisit the measure next year.