By Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz

Residents are eligible to cast an early voting ballot for the 2023 General Election. While Election Day this year is designated as Nov. 7, all active registered voters in Erie County can visit any of the 38 early voting locations starting Saturday, Oct. 28 and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 5.

Erie County has the most extensive early voting program of any county in the state of New York. Early voting provides voters flexibility in deciding when and where they will take the time to participate in this important democratic process. Each polling site will utilize state-of-the-art electronic polling books that will allow eligible voters to check in and have a paper ballot printed for their election district. Voters will then be provided a privacy folder and a place to sit and cast their ballot.

All ballots will be securely stored inside locked bins and continuously monitored at each polling place until they are removed each night, at which point that day’s vote count will be taken to the Board of Elections. Using electronic polling books helps move along the check-in process and assists in confirming the validation of each voter’s registration data. This means that no one will be able to vote more than once per election.

I believe early voting helps eligible voters avoid any potential barriers that some people face when they are limited to one day to vote. The ability to vote prior to Election Day should allow individuals who have work and/or family responsibilities and obligations to be able to use their right to vote in elections that determine who will represent them. Some people are not aware or have not yet been paying much attention to the 2023 General Election because there are no federal positions on this year’s ballot, with some individuals instead focusing on next year’s presidential election and other expected races that will be on the 2024 ballot. This year’s elections are important so I encourage all eligible voters to take the time to educate themselves about who is on the ballot in local races for public office.

To learn more about early voting you can visit www.elections.erie.gov. Listed there are the hours of operation and addresses of all 38 locations that will be open for early voting. If you have specific questions about your voter eligibility or anything else concerning voting in Erie County, please call the Erie County Board of Elections at 716-858-8891.

The use of early voting provides people more opportunities to cast their ballot at locations on days and times that work best for them. I am optimistic that early voting will continue to improve voter engagement and allow for more people to participate in this important process. Please help spread the word about early voting and encourage eligible voters you know to participate in the electoral process.