Community News

We are in the midst of the Covid 19 Pandemic and voting issues are probably the last thing on peoples’ minds.

Voter registration sites were planned throughout the county, but due to human contact limitations, these had to be canceled. To help improve voter participation, the following information is essential.

Due to the corona virus, and Senator Bernie Sanders withdrawing as a Democratic presidential nomination candidate, some changes have had to be made in the ballot and some continue to be considered in NYS. Voting by mail is now available in NYS by governor executive order as well as early voting.

Deadline dates from the Board of Elections are listed below for the congressional state and local primary on June 23:

• Friday, May 29 is the deadline to register for the June 23 primary election.
• Application to receive mail-in ballot for the June 23 primary election deadline is June 16; ballot must be postmarked by June 22.
• Early voting for primaries isscheduled from June 13 to June 21, times TBA.

Deadline dates for the general election on November 3 are listed below:

• Friday, October 9 is the deadline to register for the November 3 general election.
• Application to receive mail-in ballot for the November 3 general election deadline is October 27; ballot must be postmarked by November 22.
• Early voting for the general election is from October 24 to November 1, times TBA.

Early voting will be at the Board of Elections offices. Applications can be obtained on line, in Post Offices, or at the Board of Elections office, 185 E. Seneca. St., Oswego. Ballots will be mailed after receipt of applications. Updates and changes will be forthcoming.

Past voting statistics are grim nationally as well as locally in Oswego County, as seen below.

In off-year, Oswego local elections:

• 2017, 31% of registered Democrats voted.
• 2017, 37% of registered Republicans voted.
• 2019, 28% of registered Democrats voted.
• 2019, 36% of registered Republicans voted.

In Congressional and top-ticket Oswego County elections:

• 2016, 66% of registered Democrats voted.
• 2016, 72% of registered Republicans voted.
• 2018, 59% of registered Democrats voted.
• 2018, 63% of registered Republicans voted.

Overall US voter turnout for local elections 2017 and 2019 respectively was 30% and 28%. For 2016 and 2018 for national elections, total turnout was 69% and 56%. In the 2016 nationwide election, 46.9 % of the eligible population did not vote. In Oswego County, 31% overall did not vote.