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MAYVILLE – Voting for New York State’s gubernatorial primary election is in full swing, with early ballots being cast this week in Chautauqua County. This, as local election officials are preparing to host yet another election in August as well.
Starting last Saturday, the first round of early voting wraps up Sunday at 5 p.m.
County Board of Elections Commissioners Brian Abram and Luz Torres say that if you want to get your vote in, now is the time.
“We have the four sites open, the mall, the Robert H. Jackson Center, Board of Elections, and the Fairgrounds,” says Torres. “When you go to vote there’s no wait time, it’s been very slow and steady, just go down, vote, you’ll be in and out no waiting.”
So far, local turnout for the respective party’s primary election has been slow, with only 484 people participating in early voting as of reporting.
On the ballot for Democrats: Governor Kathy Hochul, Thomas Suozzi and Juamanne Williams. For Republicans: Rob Astorino, Andrew Giuliani, Harry Wilson and Lee Zeldin are facing off.
The winners of each party will then go head to head this fall for the full governorship.
“It’s been somewhat slow, we kind of had that as our thought pattern that being June, people are busy, that that election is only for Republicans and Democrats that there would be a limited amount of individuals that will participate,” explained Abram
All the while, election leaders are also turning their attention to another election in August for New York’s 23rd Congressional District.
“The dynamic changes again because it’s going to be a hybrid election where everybody is invited to come out on a special to determine which person for congress will fulfill Tom Reed’s term, and at the same time we’re probably going to be looking at a primary election for Republicans,“ stated Abram. “So it’s going to be a very unique sort of voting experience.”
According to the Commissioners, the overlap of all of the different elections, causes a lot of stress on the election staff to have everything worked out.
“It’s kind of unique, it’s where you have to basically manage two different operations, so early voting is a tool that people have engaged in and we’re doing the best we can to make sure we’re there for you,“ said Abram.
Following the guibitarorial primary next Tuesday, voting for a special election and GOP congressional primary will take place mid-August, with a second primary day set for Tuesday, August 23.
For more local voting information, visit votechautauqua.com.
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