The next election will take place on Tuesday, April 28th. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
When can I vote?
Voters in New York are now able to vote during a 9-day-long period before Election Day, at a limited number of polling locations during limited hours. The locations in 2019 in Tompkins County were:
Town of Ithaca Town Hall 215 N Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850
Crash Fire Rescue (C.F.R.) 72 Brown Road Ithaca NY 14850
In 2020, we can presume that the same polling locations will be used for early voting again, perhaps with somewhat expanded hours.
PLEASE vote early if you can, because that will allow our volunteers to focus on helping the people who have not yet voted.
Find more information at the website of the Tompkins County Board of Elections, here.
What will the ballot look like?
We don't know yet, because the candidates still need to qualify to get on the ballot. The ballot will also give voters the opportunity to vote for delegates associated with the various candidates.
Who is voting?
In New York, the Presidential primary will fall on April 28th, on the same day as Pennsylvania and a number of other Northeastern states. Each political party with more than one qualified candidate will hold a primary. The Democratic Party will certainly have a primary. Perhaps the Republican Party will as well, if some of the minor candidates decide to challenge Donald Trump in New York. The Green Party only has one candidate this year, so they will not hold a primary. Voters must be registered in the political party of their choice in order to be able to vote in that party's primary.
Do I have to be registered?
Local residents who would like to vote in the April 28th Democratic 2020 Presidential primary must be registered as Democrats by February 14th, 2020. The Democratic Committees encourage voters to register as early as possible, so that they can discover any mistakes and correct them in time.
Registering online via the DMV is possible but often involves delays, so that a person can miss the registration deadline. The recommended way to register is to fill out a paper registration form and deliver it or mail it to the Board of Elections office on Buffalo St. in Ithaca. They will mail you a postcard to confirm your registration -- be sure to follow up with them if you don't get your postcard within a few weeks!
What if I would like to run for office myself?
If you are a Democrat and would like to run for town office in 2021 (or county, state, or Federal office in 2020), you should meet with your county Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner, and/or with the Democratic Committee in your town or county. They can advise you on the requirements, especially regarding the petitioning process and deadlines and the filing of financial reports.
If there are multiple candidates for the Democratic nominee for these positions, there will be primaries in June.
From 2019 onward, all primaries in New York will take place in June and the general elections will be in November -- the only exception is the Presidential primary, which can vary. New York could change its primary date to an earlier or later period in the Presidential campaign cycle, and has done so in the past already.