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Voters traveled to polling sites across the county on Sunday to participate in the second day of early voting.

Early voting for the general election in New York state started Saturday and will run for nine days until Nov. 1. Early voters said they chose to vote early this weekend to avoid large crowds and long lines on Election Day.

This year marks the first time New York state has allowed early voting in a presidential election after first implementing it in the 2019 election. More people in Onondaga County voted early this weekend than in all nine days of early voting in 2019, the county elections commissioner announced Sunday.

At the end of the day, the Board of Elections reported a total of 9,846 votes were cast over the weekend.

Nicolas Perez, who voted for the first time Sunday, participated in early voting to avoid the crowds on Election Day for safety and convenience.

“It’s important especially now during such an important election,” Perez said. “There are a lot of rights and issues on the line.”

Some early voters said they believe this will be one of the most important general elections in their lifetimes.

Carol Charles hopes that, after the election, she’ll see more policies, such as a stimulus package, that support people who have suffered financially due to the pandemic and can’t afford to pay rent.

“People-friendly policies need to happen because people are hurting,” she said. “As it’s been said, vote like your life depends on it, because it does.”

Charles voted at the Syracuse Community Connections polling site located in the city’s Southside neighborhood. She participated in early voting to avoid the long lines on Election Day and because she felt more confident voting in person than by mail.

Like Charles, Karen Oakes chose to vote early in person because it gave her more confidence that her ballot would be counted than if she had voted by mail.

“It’s been a very close election,” she said. “Everyone should have their say.”

Managers of polling sites in Syracuse have already seen hundreds arrive at their sites to cast ballots early. Signs at the entrances of polling places remind voters they must wear masks and arrows drawn on the ground direct voter traffic to promote social distancing.

Bruce Swift, who managed the polling site at the Armond Magnarelli Center on the city’s Northside, described the turnout rate for early voting as “incredible.” He saw 600 to 700 people vote at his site this weekend, which he attributed to the heightened interest in this year’s election.

Larry Williams, the CEO of the Syracuse Community Connections and the manager of the polling site there, was also impressed with the turnout this weekend. He described the surge of early voters as “one of the best things that he’s seen in terms of democracy in action.”

“Voting is going to help facilitate the basis for real change,” Williams said. “Marching, protesting, all those things are great. But there’s nothing greater than voting for someone who really represents those things that are near and dear to you.”

There are many advantages to early voting, such as allowing people to cast their ballot when it is most convenient for them and reducing crowds during a pandemic, Williams said.

Members of the Black Leadership Coalition, an advocacy group that works to build political engagement within Black communities and communities of color, volunteered at the Syracuse Community Connections polling site to provide coffee and drinks to voters.

Gina Iliev, a member of the coalition, said lines at the site were long early on Sunday, with dozens of people waiting in the cold to cast their vote. She volunteered to cheer on the community, especially during an important election.

“We want to show our community that we’re here for them,” she said. “We want as many people to have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”

Published on October 25, 2020 at 11:06 pm

Contact Abby: akweiss@syr.edu | @abbyweiss_21