Early voting for Monroe County is approaching for the November general election. The voting will run from Saturday, Oct. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 1.
Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for most days except on Oct. 27 and Oct. 29 when hours will be 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
General election day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Where can I vote in the Rochester area?
In Monroe County the early voting sites, which are open to all registered voters, are:
- Monroe County Office Building, 39 W Main St., Rochester (ASL interpreter at site)
- Edgerton Recreation Center, 41 Backus St., Rochester
- David F. Gantt Community Center, 700 North St., Rochester
- Staybridge Suites Rochester University Hotel, 1000 Genesee St., Rochester
- Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, 17 Madison St., Rochester
- Brighton Farmers Market, 1435 Westfall Road. (ASL interpreter at site)
- Irondequoit Community Center, 450 Skyview Centre Parkway Suite 200.
- Gates Presbyterian Church, 1049 Wegman Road.
- Henrietta Public Library, 625 Calkins Rd. (ASL interpreter at site)
- Pittsford Town Court, 3750 Monroe Ave.
- Perinton Presbyterian Church, 6511 Pittsford Palmyra Road.
- Penfield Community Center- Braman Room, 1985 Baird Road.
- Webster Justice Court Building, 1002 Ridge Road.
- Greece Town Hall, 1 Vince Tofany Blvd.
- Sweden Clarkson Community Center, 4927 Lake Road.
All early voting sites will have a Spanish-language interpreter available on site.
Am I eligible to vote in NY?
Here are the qualifications to vote in New York state:
- You must be a U.S. citizen;
- Be 18 or older;
- Not be in prison for a felony conviction;
- Not claim the right to vote elsewhere;
- And not found to be incompetent by a court.
May I vote early by mail?
Any registered voter can request to vote by mail, but you must fill out a new application every year you wish to vote by mail since it expires at the end of the year.
This application may be delivered to the Board of Elections:
- By mail, until 10 days before Election Day.
- In-person, until the day before Election Day.
In order to be counted, an early vote by mail ballot must be postmarked by Election Day, or can be dropped off into a Ballot Drop Box located at every polling site throughout early voting and on Election Day.
May I vote by absentee ballot?
Absentee ballots are available by:
- Applying online using the NYS Absentee Ballot Application Portal
- Contacting the Board of Elections via e-mail and asking to have an application mailed to you.
- Downloading and printing or submitting electronically via email a Regular Absentee Ballot Application or the Spanish Absentee Ballot Application
- Visiting the Board of Elections in person Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm to request an application
- Writing to the Board of Elections at 435 Smith St., Rochester, NY 14608
- Call the Board of Elections at (585) 753-1550
Also, according to the Board of Elections: "Due to a recent change in law, New York State voters are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have already requested an absentee ballot for that election. Voters who have already requested an absentee ballot can still vote in person using an affidavit ballot. The affidavit ballot will be kept separate until the election is completed. Election officials will verify whether the voter’s absentee ballot has been received. If the voter’s absentee ballot has been received, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received, the affidavit ballot will be considered."
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County. Get in touch at kweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Monroe County early voting starts Oct. 24: Here's where to go
