Early Voting Begins for First Time in New York on Saturday
By Joan Gaylord
For New York State’s first-ever early voting period, Mount Kisco Village Hall will serve as one of the centralized polling places in the area.
In the 2019 general election, all registered voters who reside in Mount Kisco, Bedford and New Castle will be able to cast their ballots in the lobby of Village Hall for nine consecutive days, starting this Saturday, Oct. 26 and extending through Sunday, Nov. 3.
Voters who live in the towns of Mount Pleasant and North Castle must report to the Mount Pleasant Community Center, located at 125 Lozza Drive in Valhalla, to cast their ballots.
The extended voting period is the result of a change in election law approved earlier this year by the New York State Legislature. The law also moved up the petition filing period to early April and all primaries coincide with the federal primary day on the fourth Tuesday of June.
Mount Kisco’s Village Hall and the Mount Pleasant Community Center are two of 17 centralized early voting locations across Westchester County.
Mount Kisco Village Manager Edward Brancati said the process would be identical to what the public experiences during voting on Election Day. All voter rolls for the municipalities would be brought to the early voting locations.
At the suggestion of County Legislator Kitley Covill (D-Katonah), the village will have designated parking spaces behind the building to help facilitate the extra traffic.
Any expenses municipalities might incur as a result of serving as an early voting polling place would be covered by a state grant, Brancati explained. He estimated that Mount Kisco will be reimbursed about $2,700.
During the nine days of early voting, hours will vary to try and capture both early morning and evening hours. Early voting hours will be the same at each location: 12 to 5 p.m. on the two weekends, Oct. 26 and 27 and Nov. 2 and 3; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 30 and Nov. 1; and 12 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 29 and 31. The hours will also be posted on Mount Kisco’s and other municipalities’ websites.
The polls will not be open on Monday, Nov. 4. Same-day voting this year falls on Tuesday, Nov. 5 when all voters who have not yet voted will report to their usual Election Day polling locations.
For more information, visit www.VoteEarlyNY.org.
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