Absentee voting in Ontario County: When, how to vote in 2023 election
CANANDAIGUA – You can’t make it to the polls for early voting in Ontario County. And you can’t make it on general election day, Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Instead, voters may apply for an absentee ballot. The Ontario County Board of Elections must receive an application sent by mail or online no later than Monday, Oct. 23.
Here’s what Ontario County voters can do
The application form is at https://absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov/ or https://ontariocountyny.gov/107/Board-of-Elections.
Voters also may make their application in person at the Board of Elections office, 74 Ontario St., Canandaigua, during normal business hours. If you choose this route, you have until Nov. 6.
If you have previously applied for a “permanent” absentee status, there is no need to submit a new application.
How to vote by absentee ballot in Ontario County
According to the Board of Elections, there are four ways to return an absentee ballot.
By prepaid postage return mail; ensure the ballot is mailed so that it receives a postmark no later than Tuesday, Nov. 7.
2. By bringing it to the Board of Elections office no later than 9 p.m. Nov. 7.
3. By bringing it to an early voting poll site between Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Nov. 5.
4. By bringing it to an Ontario County poll site no later than 9 p.m. Nov. 7.
Due to a recent change in law, voters who are issued an absentee ballot are no longer permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine, elections officials said. These absentee voters can still vote in person at a poll site using an affidavit ballot. The affidavit ballot will be kept separate until the election is completed.
Election officials will verify whether the voter’s absentee ballot has been received. If it has, the affidavit will not be counted. If it has not been received, the affidavit will be counted.
When is early voting in Ontario County again?
Early voting in Ontario County starts 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. It continues 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, and ends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5.
The county has three early voting poll sites: the Board of Elections office, 74 Ontario St., Canandaigua; Victor Town Hall, 85 E. Main St., Victor; and Geneva Housing Authority Office, 41 Lewis St., Geneva.
More information on voting in Ontario County
For more information and a full list of candidates in Ontario County, visit the Board of Elections website, call 585-396-4005 or email boe@ontariocountyny.gov.
This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Absentee voting in Ontario County NY: When, how to vote in 2023 election
