Early voting for the general election begins Oct. 26 in Cortland, Tompkins and Cayuga counties.
Cortland County will allow votes to be cast before Election Day, Nov. 5, at the Board of Elections, 112 River St., Cortland. Of course, anyone who casts a ballot early is ineligible to vote on Election Day.
The schedule:
•Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 27: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 28: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 29: noon to 8 p.m.
•Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 31: noon to 8 p.m.
•Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Nov. 2: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Nov. 3: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cortland County’s elections commissioners – one from each major party – say questions about election security that have been raised in states outside New York are unlikely to be significant topics in Cortland County.
“Elections here are very secure,” said Thomas H. Brown, Democratic elections commissioner for Cortland County. He had been at the county Board of Elections for 15 years.
County residents who arrive at a polling place and discover that elections officials don’t have a record that they are registered to vote will be asked to vote via an affidavit ballot – a paper ballot that will be reviewed by both commissioners, said Michelle S. Brown, the county’s Republican elections commissioner. She has worked at the board for more than 20 years.
There should be few surprises for voters when they arrive at the polling place to cast their vote, Thomas Brown said, pointing out that elections in New York state are guided by the Albany-based state Board of Elections.
A common issue involving a voter whose registration cannot be found involves whether they live in the county and how long they have lived at their address. One way to address that is to go to your polling place with a driver’s license or other government ID.
TOMPKINS COUNTY
Tompkins County will have two early voting sites: Crash Fire Rescue, 72 Brown Road, Ithaca, and Ithaca Town Hall, 2105 N. Tioga St.
That county’s schedule:
•Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 27: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 28: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 29: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
•Oct. 30: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 31: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
•Nov. 1: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Nov. 2: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Nov. 3: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CAYUGA COUNTY
Cayuga County will open four locations for early voting: Clifford Park on Mary Street in Auburn; the Fingerlakes Mall on Clark Street in Auburn; Cato Municipal Building on Shortcut Road and Moravia Town Hall on Route 38.
Early voting schedule:
•Oct. 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 27: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Oct. 28: noon to 8 p.m.
•Oct. 29: noon to 8 p.m.
•Oct. 30: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•Oct. 31: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•Nov. 1: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•Nov. 2: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
•Nov. 3 : 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
