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Early Voting is a Win for Onondaga County Early Voting is a Win for Onondaga County

By Patrick Gunn

(Car driving past the Onondaga County Board of Elections Sign.)

Patrick: VOTING SEASON COMES AND GOES FASTER THAN THAT CAR. LAWRENCE
WILLIAMS HAS SEEN MANY ELECTIONS COME AND GO IN SYRACUSE AT THE
SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CENTER.

Patrick: “One of those kids you see running back and forth and you see back and forth, I was one
of those kids at one time.”

Patrick: THOSE ELECTIONS HAVE PROVIDED DECENT RESULTS, BUT WILLIAMS FEELS
THAT THINGS COULD STILL BE BETTER FOR HIS COMMUNITY.

Lawrence: “Particularly for a community that sometimes feels locked out and or disenfranchised from
the voting process.”

Patrick: NOW THE C-E-O OF SYRACUSE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, WILLIAMS IS EXCITED
FOR THE OPPRTUNITIES HOSTING EARLY VOTING PROVIDES.

Lawrence: “It’s not only providing an opportunity for those who are registered to vote, but also set up a
mechanism while this is going on, ideally we want to have voting registration at the same
time.”

Patrick: ONONDAGA COUNTY ELECTIONS COMMISSIONER DUSTIN CZARNEY HAS BEEN
WORKING HARD TO GET POLLING SITES READY FOR EARLY VOTING.

Dustin: “Well, I mean, I’ve been an activist for 15 years pushing for early voting even before I
became a commissioner, but the law was passed in January on the first day of session and
we’ve been working on it ever since.”

Patrick: WILLIAMS AND CZARNY BOTH AGREE THAT EARLY VOTING HELP TO THE
COMMUNITY OF SYRACUSE.

Dustin: “I’m hopeful that once people get used to this option in New York, early voting will be useful
here as well.”

Patrick: FOR WILLIAMS, HAVING EARLY VOTING AT A PLACE LIKE THE SOUTHWEST
CENTER, WHICH SEES AROUND TEN-THOUSAND VISITORS EACH YEAR, IS A
MAJOR BOOST TO THE COMMUNITY.

Lawrence: “It becomes the epicenter, so we have to constantly be cognicent to what’s going out there.
So, whatever’s good for any other community is good for this community.”

Patrick: EARLY VOTING STARTS SATURDAY ACROSS ONONDAGA COUNTY. PATRICK GUNN,
N-C-C NEWS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Lawrence Williams remembers playing at the Southwest Community Center in Syracuse.

“One of those kids you see running back  and forth,” Williams said, while pointing out several children at the center. “I was one of those kids at one time. I was a teenager, but I was one of those kids.”

Now, Williams is giving back as the CEO of Syracuse Community Connections, a non-profit organization that helps people in the South side of Syracuse.

This year, the Southwest Center will be one of six locations where people can vote early in Onondaga County. This is the first time Onondaga County has offered early voting, and Williams sees this as a great opportunity for the community to grow.

“It’s not only providing an opportunity for those who are registered to vote,” Williams said. “But also set up a mechanism while this is going on, ideally we want to have voting registration at the same time.”

Dustin Czarny, the Democratic Onondaga County Elections Commissioner, has been working to provide this service for a long time.

“I’ve been an activist for 15 years pushing for early voting even before I became a commissioner,” Czarny said.

Czarny has been working hard this year to get the polling stations ready for early voting. While he is not completely sure what the turnout will be, Czarny believes that soon people will come around to voting early.

“I’m hopeful that once people get used to this option in New York, early voting will be useful here as well,” Czarny said.

Williams believes that hosting early voting specifically at the Southwest Center is crucial. He estimates that 10,000 people use the center each year. It is a major location for impoverished people living on the south side of Syracuse.

“It becomes the epicenter,” Williams said. “So we have to consistently be cognicent to what’s going out there. So, whatever’s good for any other community is good for this community.”

For  more information about early voting and Syracuse Community Connections:

http://www.smnfswcc.org/contact.aspx

http://www.ongov.net/elections/early-voting.html

Reported by
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Patrick Gunn

Patrick Gunn is an Associate Producer for Citrus TV's live post game show, Orange Press Pass. Patrick is also the Film Beat Reporter for Citrus TV's entertainment news show, Unpeeled. Patrick is a writer for Pulp, a section of the Daily Orange, and Start Spreading the News, an independent blog about the New York Yankees.

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