Early voting surges across New York

ALBANY — New Yorkers turned out in heavy numbers over the weekend to cast ballots early for governor and high-stakes contests around the state.

Roughly 485,200 people voted on Saturday and Sunday, the start of the state’s nine-day early voting period, according to state Board of Elections data. That’s an 85% increase from the 262,599 who cast their ballots in the opening weekend of early voting in 2022, the last time Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul was up for election.

Each of the state’s 62 counties saw more people voting early, the data show. Turnout in the five boroughs of New York City was up 70% from four years ago, lagging the statewide average.

The largest percentage increases came in upstate counties where there are competitive elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, including the 17th District in the lower Hudson Valley and the 21st District north and west of the Capital Region that includes all of the Adirondack Park.

“We’re seeing it: record numbers going to vote,” said U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, an Amsterdam Democrat who represents the 20th District. “People are concerned about what’s happening to their neighbors and their own household.”

New York first allowed early voting in the 2020 presidential election. The state Board of Elections tallies do not include information about the party enrollment of voters. The Times Union contacted the boards of elections in several counties, where officials indicated that more enrolled Democrats have voted than Republicans.

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Saratoga County saw the largest uptick in early voting in the Capital Region compared to four years ago, according to a Times Union analysis of state data. Turnout increased 115% on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s been like presidential numbers, quite frankly,” said Cassandra Bagramian, the Democratic commissioner of the Saratoga County Board of Elections. The most active early polling site was in Clifton Park, she said.

There are around 66,000 enrolled Republicans and 55,000 enrolled Democrats in the county, according to February figures filed with the state Board of Elections. However, Democrats dominated the first weekend of voting.

Around 3,600 Democrats cast ballots in Saratoga County this weekend, according to data provided by Bagramian, compared with around 1,650 Republicans who went to the polls and around 1,500 voters who aren’t enrolled in a party.

The same trend was true in Rensselaer County. The 4,104 people who voted this weekend include 713 Republicans, 162 Conservatives, 2,065 Democrats and just over 1,000 people who are enrolled in smaller parties or no party, according to Henry Zwack, the Republican commissioner of the Rensselaer County Board of Elections.

“Those are consistent with how it’s gone in the past. Early voting tends to see more Democratic turnout than it does Republican-Conservative,” Zwack said. There aren’t many local races on the ballot in the county this year, he added.

Rural Washington County saw the largest increase in turnout — 236% — of any county in the state, according to the Times Union’s analysis. The county more than tripled its count to 1,192 this year from 355 votes in 2022.

A party breakdown of early voters in Washington County wasn’t immediately available. Washington County GOP Chairman William Herrick said that he has been encouraging Republicans to vote.

“I think the Republicans balked at (early voting) for quite a while, but I don’t think that’s the way it should be,” Herrick said. “People don’t want to lose the House of Representatives, and everybody’s going out because of the economy.”

Washington is one of eight counties wholly in New York’s 21st Congressional District, where Republican Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino and Democrat dairy farmer Blake Gendebien are vying to succeed U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican who isn’t seeking reelection.

Many of the counties that make up the district exceeded the statewide early voting growth rate. The largest increases were in St. Lawrence (197%), Warren (182%) and Herkimer (179%) counties. 

Constantino announced plans to cast his vote on Tuesday afternoon in Greenfield Center.

Turnout growth was more modest on Long Island, the home turf of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the GOP gubernatorial candidate. Turnout in Suffolk County rose by 96% compared to four years ago, while the number of voters was up 64% in Nassau County.

Erie County, where Hochul maintains a residence, saw a similar percentage of growth. That county only rose 60% — and the tally includes a ballot cast by the governor, who voted on Saturday.