JOSH CRAWFORD: Voting is starting up once again in Onondaga County. The Primary Election Day is June 25th but early voting starts this week. NCC’s Amalia Brownell is live in the studio with what you need to know before you head to the polls.
AMALIA BROWNELL: Yes Josh, early voting here starts just this Saturday, but you’re going to need to be enrolled in a party in order to cast your ballot.
BROWNELL: Early voting for this year’s primary election begins Saturday, but there are things to keep in mind even if you’re a long time voter. In person voting runs every day from Saturday the 15th to Sunday the 23rd from 9 am to 5 pm, except on Tuesdays and Wednesdays where the time runs from noon to 8. Unlike a regular election day, Onondaga County Elections Commissioner, Dustin Czarny says you can vote at any of the 6 locations available.
DUSTIN CZARNY: “You can go to any site. So if you live close to a site, you can go to it. Or if you’re working somewhere you want to go to another, or you’re out driving or bouncing errands and decide to go to another site. You can do that.”
BROWNELL: Czarny says that you must be enrolled in a party in order to be able to vote in the primary but once you’re enrolled, all you’ll need to bring to the polls is your signature.
CZARNY: “You don’t have to bring anything to your early voting or, or election day voting. Your signature is your verification. However, if you are a first time voter like you just registered this year, and we were unable to, to verify you through the Department of Motor Vehicles or the, the, Social Security Agency, we may ask you for ID that is not required for 98% of the people that are going to vote.”
BROWNELL: But if you’re planning to vote by mail, Czarny says you’ll need to act fast.
CZARNY: “I suggest you do that ASAP because, if, it takes us time to get it out and it takes mail for it to get there, and you have to put it in the mail by June 25th, Election day.”
BROWNELL: Czarny says that while there likely won’t be many voting due to it just being a primary election, you should still give yourself at least half an hour to vote. Reporting in the studio, I’m Amalia Brownell for NCC News.
CRAWFORD: The Democratic Primary for the House of Representatives is one of the races. The candidates will debate tomorrow night at Newhouse.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Early voting begins in New York state and Onondaga County on Saturday for this year’s primary election. Unlike a regular election, early voting allows voters to vote at any of the six polling locations across the county, making things more convenient for voters.
“You can go to any site,” said Onondaga County Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny. “If you live close to a site, you can go to it. If you’re working somewhere you want to go to another or driving or bouncing errands and decide to go to another site, you can do that.”
In-person early voting runs from June 15 to June 23 and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Tuesday and Wednesday, when polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m.
Voters will need to be registered with a party in order to vote in the primary but won’t need to bring anything more than their signature when they arrive to vote. Czarny said that first-time voters who just registered this year may be asked for their ID, but nearly everyone else will only need a signature.
He said he doesn’t expect polls to be too busy as it is just a primary election, but voters should factor in about 30 minutes to be able to get their ballot and deal with a line or two. Czarny also wants voters to be mindful of what they wear when they come to cast their ballot.
“Do not wear any political paraphernalia into a polling place or anything with a candidate’s name on it that appears on the ballot that you’re voting on,” Czarny said. “You’d have to cover that up to get your ballot.”
For voters planning to vote by mail, Czarny said time is running out.
“You need to do that ASAP,” said Czarny. “It takes us time to get ballots out and it takes time for it to get there, and you have to put it in the mail by June 25, Election Day.”
For details on what is on the ballot and to verify your registration, you can visit the Onondaga County elections site at onvote.net.
