Early voting underway in upstate New York

Early voting poll sites opened Saturday morning across New York state. Some voters in Albany County spoke about what voting early means to them. “I'm voting early because I want to make sure my vote gets counted,” Chuck Hougton said. “And I think this is a really important election.” “We do our due justice by our community members in making sure that we vote,” Marianna Achlaoug said. “You can come down here today,” Dennis Benedict said. “It's a beautiful day. It's not too bad. And, wherever you can vote, vote!” Last year, the New York State Board of Elections reported that close to 1.2 million New Yorkers voted early in the general election. But prior to 2019, early voting wasn’t even an option. “It was designed and implemented as a way to give the everyday New Yorker the opportunity to vote at a time and a place that makes sense for them,” League of Women Voters Executive Director Erica Smitka said.

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