One of the most closely watched elections this fall is New York City's mayoral race . But New York voters will also weigh in on a lesser-known proposal that could move future city elections to even-numbered years.

It's part of a growing trend to consolidate election dates — adding local races to the ballot during presidential and midterm elections.

Proponents of the effort say it counters persistently low turnout for local elections, despite concerns about local issues and candidates getting overshadowed.

Right now, most local races across the country — for things like city council, school board and bond measures — are "off-cycle," or don't coincide with federal elections, according to Katy Owens Hubler, director of elections and redistricting at the National Conference of State Leg

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