OleanNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Olean Common Council Election 2026

3 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 4 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Olean has seven wards; voters in Wards 1, 3 and 5 each choose one alderman for their own ward. The mayor is not on this ballot.

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Kathy C. Hochul · Democratic, Working Families
    • Bruce A. Blakeman · Republican, Conservative, Vote Affordable
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideComptroller · Attorney General
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 23
  • State SenateDistrict 57
  • State AssemblyDistrict 148
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Security cameras2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council approved a Verkada camera agreement in September 2026 but a $275,000 bond to pay for it failed.

What's on the tableWhether and how the city funds and expands a security camera system.

02Property-tax cap and budget2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council overrode the state property-tax levy limit for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

What's on the tableHow the next budget handles taxes and the state levy limit.

03Olean Center Mall2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn January 2026 the council acted on eminent domain findings for the mall property on North Union Street.

What's on the tableHow the city follows up on the narrowed property interests it moved to acquire.

04Wayne Street path2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council voted 6-0 in September 2026 to end the Wayne Street Shared Use Path project.

What's on the tableWhich city funds will close out the project and repay the state.

05Recreation Center pool1 sourced fact

Where it standsThe council awarded a $1,093,377 pool upgrades construction contract in July 2026.

What's on the tableFurther pool repair decisions and how they are paid for.

2 notes on these statements

The Ward 3 and Ward 5 seats are held by Jennifer Forney and John Crawford, whose terms expire December 2026. City of Olean

City Attorney Bridget Marshall referred to a vacant Alderman seat at the September 8, 2026 council meeting. Olean Common Council minutes, Sept. 8, 2026 · Sep 8, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should Olean handle a citywide security camera system?

  2. 2. Should the council override the state property-tax cap when it adopts a budget?

  3. 3. How should the city use eminent domain at the Olean Center Mall?

  4. 4. The Wayne Street shared-use path cost far more than budgeted. What should the city do?

  5. 5. What should the city do about repairing the Recreation Center pool?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted4 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

    The seat math

    4 stay (not up this year): David Anastasia, Joseph Keary, Sonya McCall, Amy B. Sherburne3 on this ballot

    7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

    Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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