Early voting in Onondaga County got off to a strong start over the weekend when nearly 20,000 people cast their ballots at ten locations. Elections commissioners and poll workers are expecting similar turnout through Sunday as they work to ensure the integrity of the process.
The numbers point to a lot of activity at the polls. At least 13,000 new voters recently joined the rolls, for a record number of 319,673 eligible to vote. Many of them registered and are voting because of the presidential election. Republican Elections Commissioner Michele Sardo says if you’re voting in person, be prepared to wait.
“There's going to be lines, so be as patient please with our staff and people around you," Sardo said. "They'll check you in, they'll do what they have to do to get you out of there as quickly as possible.”
Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny says planning ahead can alleviate lines at some of the more popular sites.
“Our goal is to try to keep everybody at 1/2 hour wait time. That is the standard that we we try to keep at," Czarny said. "We've added early voting sites to do that. We went from 6 to 10 from the last presidential election, and we've added staff to these sites. We've also added a wait time tool on our website where you can look at the early voting sites and see what the reported wait time is.”
Safety at polling sites is also a concern amid intimidation tactics and violent rhetoric elsewhere in the country. Czarny says they’ve engaged with the authorities.
“They know where our polling places are. While they're not stationed at polling places, because that's not appropriate," Czarny said. "But they are doing drive-bys and that kind of stuff. They're also on call if we need to bring somebody down. Unfortunately, we've had to put this into the inspector training of how to deal with an unruly voter.”
GOP Commissioner Sardo says political activity is prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place, and polling managers will stop any voters wearing political garb, including hats.
“We ask you to remove it if you come in with something, or to put it under a coat. Hide it, turn your shirt inside out, however, so yes, that that rule still stands.”
Early voting continues through Sunday. More information on locations and hours can be found here.
