Despite the rainy weather, Orange County residents wait in line outside of Warwick Town Hall to ensure their ballots are casted and counted in this upcoming election.
By Jacqueline Smith
WARWICK – New York State’s early voting period, Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, has provided a flexible option for voters, who are still concerned about the risk of contracting COVID-19 at polling sites and miscounted absentee ballots due to the unreliable speed of the U.S. Postal Service. In Orange County, N.Y., voters have several options available, including voting with an absentee ballot by mail, voting in-person during early voting periods, or voting in-person on Election Day.
In-person ballots take priority and will be immediately processed and counted toward election results Nov. 3. Absentee ballots, however, will be counted afterwards, a factor that has also contributed to recent uncertainty surrounding voters’ decided method of voting. A poll conducted by Straus News, a local publisher covering news in Orange County, claimed that of its readers, 64% will vote on Election Day in-person, 17% will vote by mail, 15% will vote in-person at early voting poll sites, and 4% are still unsure of voting plans. More information regarding Orange County Early Voting can be found online.
In New York, registered voters were able to request an absentee ballot by filling out required information, including the reasoning for choosing this method of voting. Many cited the ongoing pandemic as their reasoning for request, given their personal fear or the risk of contracting the virus. These ballots could be requested by going in-person or by emailing, calling, or faxing the Orange County Board of Elections office. Voters could also print out request forms online and mail or hand-deliver them to the office, but the slowed delivery rate of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) threatened the effectiveness of this method and worried many voters.
While the deadline to for local boards of elections to receive New York absentee ballots is now Nov. 10, voters were encouraged to avoid the unreliability of the USPS by opting to drop off ballots at their designated polling locations during early voting or to their board of elections office instead. The last day to deliver absentee ballots in person is Nov. 3 on Election Day. Louise Vandemark, Orange County’s Democratic election commissioner, said “Get your ballot back to us as soon as possible.” Republican election commissioner Courtney Canfield agreed, and chimed in “Don’t wait, don’t hesitate.”
Unfortunately, New York voters are still unable to track the status of their absentee ballots, which is why many voters chose to vote in person to ensure their votes are counted this election. Voters were able to drop off or cast ballots in-person during the designated early voting period from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 at any of the Orange County early voting poll sites assigned to residents. While voting in person might not be ideal during a pandemic, measures are still being taken to ensure safety of voters and poll workers. Orange County polling stations are obeying Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, including monitored socially distanced spaced lines, hand sanitizing stations for voters and poll workers to use, as well as available masks to enforce a no mask, no entry policy. Individual voting booths and pens are cleaned throughout the daily voting period, and plexiglass guards are assembled to limit the spread of germs.
This past weekend alone, Orange County residents waited for hours on end in a line that wrapped around the parking lot of Warwick Town Hall to cast their ballots. In his weekly updates from his office, Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard encouraged voters to remember to take part in early voting and encouraged residents to inquire more information through the town’s website.