Dems dominate start of early voting
Outnumbered Republicans 6-1 at polling places over weekend
Ulster County Democrats outnumbered Republicans by a 6-to-1 margin this past weekend in the opening round of early voting, according to Ulster County Board of Elections records.
The records show a total of 1,631 people cast ballots across the seven early voting sites in the county. Of those, 1,134 were registered Democrats and 190 were registered Republicans. The rest, totaling 307, were not enrolled in either major party.
On Saturday, early ballots were cast by 668 Democrats and 117 Republicans. The tally on Sunday was 466 Democrats and 73 Republicans.
This is the first year of early voting in New York state. The process began Saturday and runs
daily through Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 5.
“I think things are going very well, [and] we have heard from voters that they are enjoying the experience with the new technology and the ease of the process,” Ashley Dittus, Ulster County’s Democratic commissioner of elections, said Monday.
County Republican Elections Commissioner Thomas Turco said he had “no reaction” to the early voting turnout over the weekend.
The busiest polling place over the weekend was the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center in Woodstock, where 339 voters turned out, according to the county records.
The Woodstock numbers numbers might have been driven, in part, by the race for Ulster County district attorney, which pits Woodstock Democrat David Clegg against Saugerties Republican Michael J. Kavanagh. The Woodstock center is the closest early voting site to Saugerties.
The early voting site in Kingston — SUNY Ulster’s Kingston Center at 94 Mary’s Ave. — was the second busiest, with 300 voters. Kingston has a three-way race for mayor in which incumbent Democrat Steve Noble is being challenged by Ellen DiFalco, a Democrat running on the Republican and Independence Party lines; and Vince Rua, on the SAM Party line.
Ulster County has 117,627 registered voters, including 47,510 Democrats and 27,695 Republicans and 32,471 voters who are not enrolled in any party.
Early voting is being conducted at the following sites.
Ulster County
• Kingston: SUNY Ulster Kingston Center, 94 Mary’s Ave.
• Highland: American Legion Hall Post 193, 84 Grand St.
• New Paltz: Redeemer Lutheran Church, 90 Route 32 South.
• Accord: Accord Firehouse, 22 Main St.
• Town of Ulster: Russell Brott Senior Center, 1 Town Hall Drive.
• Ellenville: Ellenville Public Library, 40 Center St.
• Woodstock: Mescal Hornbeck Community Center, 56 Rock City Road.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3; noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 and Oct. 30; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 2.
Dutchess County
• Millbrook: Millbrook Fire House, 20 Front St.
• Poughkeepsie: Dutchess County Board of Elections, 47 Cannon St.
• Rhinebeck: Rhinebeck Town Hall, 80 E. Market St.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 28, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2; noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 29 and Oct. 30; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 31; and noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 3.
Greene County
• Catskill: Greene County Office Building, Suite 430, 411 Main St.
Hours: Noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 and Oct. 30; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.
Columbia County
• Hudson: Columbia County Office Building, 401 State St.
Hours: Noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 29 and Oct. 30; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 28, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.