For the first time, registered voters in Tompkins County this fall will have a new voting option, with an additional nine days to cast their ballot before Election Day.
Early this year, New York State enacted the New York State Early Voting Act, which requires all New York counties to provide voters greater flexibility in when they choose to vote. Beginning with the November 2019 General Election, registered voters will have an additional voting option—a nine-day added window of opportunity leading up to the election during which they may cast their ballot, making an “Early Vote.” You must be a registered voter to be able to Early Vote.
“Early voting gives every voter 60 extra hours over a nine-day period in which they can vote,” notes Tompkins County Democratic Elections Commissioner Stephen DeWitt. “The voter is no longer required to find time to vote in their busy schedules on one designated day.”
To vote early, voters will not go to their regular voting locations. The Tompkins County Board of Elections has established two Early Voting poll sites, which will be open each day during the nine-day Early Voting period:
- Ithaca Town Hall, 215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, and
- Tompkins County Crash, Fire, Rescue Building, 72 Brown Road, Ithaca (off Warren Road at Airport administration offices)
Both Early Voting sites will be open daily, from Saturday, October 26 through Sunday, November 3— the two weekends and the five business days between them, leading up to the General Election. The sites will be open through mid-afternoon most days, with later hours Tuesday and Thursday.
Below are the hours both sites will be open each day for Early Voting:
Saturday, October 26 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 27 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monday, October 28 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 29 12:00 p.m.– 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 30 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 31 12:00 p.m.– 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 1 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 2 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 3 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
(The two Early Voting sites will not be open on Monday, November 4 (the day before the General Election), nor on Election Day, when voters will vote at their regular polling sites.)
Remember:
- There are now three ways to cast your ballot, beginning with the 2019 General Election: through an Early Vote, and Absentee Vote, or a vote on Election Day.
- You must be registered to vote to be able to Early Vote. If you are registered to vote, you can Early Vote.
- Your Early Voting location, open for nine days prior to the election, is different from your regular polling site.
- If you choose to make an Early Vote, you cannot vote again by absentee ballot, or on Election Day.
“Early voting opens up so many opportunities for voters to exercise their right to vote,” says Tompkins County Republican Elections Commissioner Elizabeth Cree. “When voting is easy, our democracy is strong.”
Watch for more information on Early Voting at the Tompkins County Board of Elections website at www.votetompkins.com (Click on the “Early Voting” tab.) If you have questions, call the Board of Elections at 607-274-5522.