Early voting

The Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioner Brian Abram said there are a small set of primaries this year, with most voters not having a primary election to vote in, “We do not have any Democratic primaries throughout Chautauqua County in any way shape or form. We have a Republican, a Conservative, and Working Families primary races. Again, we would love that people would visit our website and they can also look at the ballot.”

The towns of Arkwight, Dunkirk,  Mina, and Ripley all have a Republican primary. The City of Dunkirk has a Working Families primary. And the town of Ripley has a Conservative primary.

Commissioner Luz Torres added that, “In order to vote in a Primary in New York State, voters must be registered in the Political Party having a Primary. Voters who changed their political party on or after February 15, 2023 will have their party choice put into a pending status and will be changed on July 5, when the ability to changes one’s political party affiliation resumes. Voters who did not submit their change of enrollment by February 14, 2023 to a party holding a Primary will not be eligible to vote in this year’s Primary Elections.”

Early Voting for the June 27 Primary Election will be held at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds in the City of Dunkirk.

Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; Monday and Tuesday from noon to 8:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Early Voting will run daily from Saturday, June 17 to Sunday, June 25.

The other three early voting sites designated for the November 7, 2023 General Election will not be open during the June Early Voting period.

Poll Sites on Primary Election Day, June 27, will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

With the exception of the Working Families members in the City of Dunkirk, voters for the Primary Election should visit their normal poll site. All members of the Working Families party in the City of Dunkirk will vote at St. John’s ICC, 728 Eagle Street for this Primary Election only.

The Commissioners reminded voters that even though they are hearing news regarding the 2024 Presidential Elections, the Elections being held this year are NOT for the Office of President.

For more information, visit votechautauqua.com

State legislators who supported the bill said the move was made to increase voter participation.

Elected officials in the middle of a term would be allowed to finish out their time in office, and those elected in an odd-numbered year after 2025 would have their term reduced so the office will be up for election again in the following even-year election.

The mandate would not apply to city elections, nor for specific elected offices protected in the state Constitution to be held in odd-numbered years, including county clerk, sheriff, district attorneys, local judges and others.

Chautauqua County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Brian Abram said he could see there being voter confusion, “Candidates having their terms shortened is a concern. The size of the ballot and the amount of information that’s being digested by the voter on an even-year cycle will be a concern, so as we look forward at it we see some obstacles that will have to be ironed out.”

Abram said it’s unlikely that there will be any cost savings due to there still being county-wide elections in odd-numbered years and those elections come with fixed costs, “When you’re doing a county-wide process, a judge, family court judge, a supreme court, anything that you’re doing you’re open for every poll site, you’re open for early voting, you’re open and doing all your things, the major parties are involved, it’s a fixed cost and labor, it’s trucking, it’s ballot and machines.”

Abram said the only options to reduce costs would be to permanently close a polling site or not have early voting. He said there could even be potential added costs in even-numbered years if the size of the ballot has to be increased due to more offices being up for election that year, “In house, we print and we save Chautauqua County taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars every year by taking on that responsibility. You outsource that same ballot and the price probably goes up not double, triple, quadruple, but beyond that. In house printing is very cost effective. Sourcing it and buying from a vendor is very expensive.”

State Senator George Borrello voted against the bill, saying it won’t give “local races a higher profile. The reality would be the opposite: local candidates’ platforms and messages would be lost in the flood media coverage and paid ads for state and federal candidates.”

The bill still needs final approval from Governor Kathy Hochul and as of today, had still not been sent to the Governor’s Office for signature.

Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioners Luz Torres and Brian Abram said 7,064 voters took part in early voting during the nine-day span. This is the second highest early voting turnout in Chautauqua County since early voting started in 2019.

In 2019, 3,827 participated in early voting. In 2020, which was a Presidential election year, 14,279 early voted. And in 2021, 3,276 early voted.

They said over 2,200 absentee ballots have been returned and opened by the Board of Elections as well.
Any voter who still have their Absentee Ballot can either place it in the mail by Election Day, November 8, 2022; or it can be dropped off at any Election Day poll site during voting hours on Tuesday.

Any individual who has already cast a ballot during early voting or returned their Absentee Ballot will be required to vote via a Provisional Affidavit Ballot. Additionally, anyone who has requested an Absentee Ballot but not yet returned it must vote via a Provisional Affidavit Ballot.

Early voting

Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioners Luz Torres and Brian Abram announced there will be four poll sites open for early voting.

These sites include the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds, the Chautauqua Mall, the Robert H. Jackson Center and the Board of Elections office.

Each location will have signage that will indicate the entrances to the poll site. All registered voters in Chautauqua County are able to visit any one of these four early voting poll sites to cast their ballot early.

All four sites will be open the same hours: Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., Monday and Tuesday from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Early voting runs for nine days from Saturday, October 29 through Sunday, November 6. Early voting is not available on Monday, November 7.

All Early Voting sites are handicap accessible and do have a Ballot Marking Device for voters with disabilities.

Voters who cast their ballot early will not be able to cast a ballot during subsequent Early Voting days or on Election Day.

If you request an Absentee Ballot, recent law changes will prevent you from casting your ballot using the voting machine during Early Voting or on Election Day.

If you come to the poll site and want to vote, you will only be able to vote a Provisional Affidavit Ballot, which can be counted if you have not already returned your Absentee Ballot.

Visit votechautauqua.com to view sample ballots and learn more information about election day.

Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioners Brian Abram and Luz Torres explain how voting will work for a special election and primary for the 23rd Congressional District.

Map Created by Irena Raia

Early voting for the special election for the 23rd Congressional District and the Republican Primary for the 23rd District begins Saturday.

Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioner Brian Abram said everyone who is a registered voter in Chautauqua County is eligible to vote in the special election, “So the door is wide open for everybody to walk in and decide on the special election between Max Della Pia and Joe Sempolinski on who they want to serve out the rest of Tom Reed‘s 23rd Congressional District until the end of the year. The next phase is, every Republican walking in the door will be entitled to two ballots. Because not only will they be able to participate in the special, but there is a primary going on between Nick Langworthy and Carl Paladino.”

Abram said that primary will determine which Republican will be on the ballot in November against Democratic candidate Max Della Pia.

He added that once the special election results are certified, the winning candidate will be sworn in to serve out the remainder of Tom Reed’s term in Congress.

Early voting will continue through Sunday, August 21 and will take place at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds, the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood, and at the Board of Elections offices in Mayville. Hours for early voting, sample ballots and more can be found at votechautauqua.com

The official primary and special election day is Tuesday, August 23 with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. that day.

The Chautauqua County Board of Elections said a recent ruling in State Supreme Court ordered that all changes of enrollment received between August 12 and 30 will take effect on August 30.

Board of Elections Commissioner Brian Abram said following the June primaries, officials realized there needed to be a deadline in place for party enrollment for the August primary, “It became a court order to allow a deadline to be put in place to say to every voter, ‘Whatever you are on August 11 is what you will be for the primary.’ The special (election) doesn’t get affected because everybody is invited (to vote) in the special. But a primary election in New York State, it’s a closed primary system. You have to be a member of that party that is conducting the primary to participate.”

Abram said, therefore, the last day for voters to change their enrollment to be eligible to vote in the August 23, 2022 Republican Primary is August 11th. Registrations must be received by the Board of Elections on August 11th. Mailed applications must be received before or on August 11 to qualify.

For voters who wish to change their enrollment via the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles MotorVoter portal, the change must be submitted one day earlier, August 10th. This is because there is a one day delay in the Board of Elections receiving information from the DMV.

Early voting

Chautauqua County Board of Election Commissioners Luz Torres and Brian Abram said all registered Democratic and Republican voters are eligible to vote in the primary. Democrats will vote for who will run Governor and Lieutenant

Governor on that line while the Republicans will decide on Governor candidates only. There are no local primary races in the county.

All four of the Early Voting sites in the County will be open from Saturday June 18 thru Sunday June 26.

Voters can choose to cast their ballot early at:
• Board of Elections Offices in the Hall R. Clothier Building in Mayville
• Chautauqua County Fairgrounds in Dunkirk
• Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown
• Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood

Early voting sites are open Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday and Tuesday noon to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Any voter who casts their ballot early cannot cast another ballot on subsequent early voting days or on Election Day.

Also new this year, voters who request an Absentee Ballot will no longer be able to vote on the voting machines on Election Day.

Commissioner Torres said, “All Boards of Elections will be counting their Absentees before Election Day to provide the most accurate numbers on Election Night. Therefore, voters who request an Absentee Ballot; whether they vote it or not, will not be able to scan their ballot on the voting machine. Instead, voters who show up at the poll site can still vote a Provisional Affidavit Ballot. If their Absentee was not returned, then their Affidavit Ballot would count.”

For more information, call (716) 753-4580 or email, vote@chqgov.com. Visit www.votechautauqua.com to review absentee ballot options, download voter registration forms, and poll site locations.

Commissioner Brian Abram says voter registration forms must be physically received at the Board of Elections’ office by 5pm, Monday, February 14. He said , “As the Board of Elections prepares for petitioning and the primary period, election law states that we have to prevent individuals from changing their party affiliation between February 15 and seven days following the Primary (July 5 this year).”

Abram added that changes submitted through the Department of Motor Vehicles must be made by Friday, February 11 in order for the DMV to transmit the data to the Board of Elections in time.

Commissioner Luz Torres said, “Election Law makes it clear that if we do not physically have possession of your enrollment change by February 14, your change will not take effect until after the June Primary. Without the party change form, individuals wishing to cast a ballot in this year’s Primary may be unable to do so. You must be registered and affiliated with the political party who’s Primary you wish to vote in.”

The Board of Elections is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Monday, February 14 to meet statutory requirements for the last day to receive political party changes.
Voter Registration Forms are available online at votechautauqua.com and at any local municipal office, library, post office or at the Board of Elections.

Chautauqua County Board of Election Commissioners Luz Torres and Brian Abram are asking all registered voters for help during the June 28th Primary Election and November 8th General Election.

They said there are 49 poll sites in Chautauqua County with more than 400 poll workers hired each election.

Poll Workers are responsible for checking in voters, assisting with questions and overseeing the casting of ballots for each election. They are trained annually and it is a paid position. To be eligible, you must be a Chautauqua County registered voter. Torres said the County always needs Spanish Interpreters.

People who are interested can contact the Chautauqua County Board of Elections by calling (716) 753-4580 or emailing vote@chqgov.com