By Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz
Election Day is less than one month away. It is important to remind everyone about the options for registered voters to make their voice heard for what is on the ballot this year.
Voting by absentee ballot allows residents who may be on vacation, deployed in the military, or just unable to visit their normal polling place on Election Day to still have their vote counted. An Erie County resident can request to vote by absentee ballot for numerous reasons, including but not limited to if they are unavoidably absent on Election Day because of a temporary or permanent disability or long-term illness, knowing they will be out of town, or on active military duty.
Absentee ballots can be requested online by visiting www.elections.erie.gov/Absentee_Notice or in person at the Erie County Board of Elections, located at 134 W. Eagle St. in Buffalo. Completed ballots mailed to that address must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, Nov. 3. If you have specific questions about the absentee ballot process, please call 716-858-7818.
It is also important to remind anyone who is not registered to vote to complete that task by Saturday, Oct. 26. That is the last possible day an application must be received by the Erie County Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in this year’s general election. Directions on how to register to vote can be found online by visiting www.elections.erie.gov/VoterRegister .
New York’s state election law was changed in 2019 to allow for early voting. That decision allowed for a major change in how New Yorkers vote. Early voting this year will take place at 38 different polling sites and begin on Saturday, Oct. 24. It will continue weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekdays from noon to 9 p.m. The last day of early voting will take place on Sunday, Nov. 1. A list of early voting sites can be downloaded by visiting the Erie County Board of Elections website at www.elections.erie.gov and will also be available at various public places, including local branches of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System.
It’s crucial everyone who is eligible to vote participates in this important democratic process to help determine who represents them. In addition to candidates for public office, there are special propositions that will be on the ballot for the City of Buffalo, the Town of Amherst and the Town of Cheektowaga. Anyone with questions about their voter eligibility or anything else concerning voting in Erie County should call 716-858-8891.
There is no excuse for not taking the time to voice your opinion on the candidates running for public office and the special propositions that appear on this year’s ballot. Please help spread the word about the importance of voting and how early voting makes it convenient to participate in the electoral process.
