Early voting in New York State for the general election takes place October 24 through November 1st.

Residents can vote early in Tompkins County either at the Ithaca Town Hall at 215 N. Tioga Street or at the Ithaca Airport Crash Fire Rescue building at 72 Brown Road.

For more information, go to tompkinscountyny.gov/boe/earlyvoting.  Schuyler County residents can learn more at schuylercounty.us/871/FOR-VOTERS. To check your registration status, visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

How to request absentee ballots:

• Due to the potential to contract the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), voters may request and vote via an absentee ballot. To request an absentee ballot, voters may fill out an absentee ballot application and check “temporary illness or physical disability” as the reason they are requesting an absentee ballot.
• Applications for Absentee Ballots are available at your county board of elections.
• You may also download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form here:
  • Download English Form ( 485KB)
  • Download Spanish Form ( 521KB)
• Upon completion, applications must be mailed, emailed or faxed to your county board no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election.
• Persons who would like to vote by absentee ballot for the general elections must submit their application by email, fax or US mail by October 27.  However, Board of Election officials urge voters to apply for absentee ballots as early as possible; if you have yet to request an absentee ballot, officials recommend voting early.

How to return absentee ballots:

• Board of Election officials recommend returning your absentee ballots as soon as possible to your county’s Board of Elections office.
• After marking your ballot, make sure to put it in the security envelope, sign, date, and seal the outside of the Security Envelope, then place the Security Envelope in the Return Envelope.
• Ballots must be postmarked by November 3rd and received by November 10th.

Two weeks after the June 23rd primary election, results from the local political races were announced to the public on July 6th. The 2020 election was a unique one in the midst of COVID-19, with virtual campaigning and a mass number of absentee ballots that made for a lengthy wait between election day and the final results.

In a crowded field in the race for the 125th District Assembly Seat to replace Barbara Lifton, who is retiring this year, Anna Kelles emerged as the victor for the Democratic nomination. Kelles, a Tompkins County legislator, won the primary by a margin of 2,000 votes over Seph Murtagh, Sujata Gibson, Jordan Lesser, Jason Leifer, Lisa Hoeschele and Beau Harbin.

Looking to the Tompkins County District Attorney Race, incumbent Matt van Houten has secured the position once again, leading his challenger Ed Kopko by nearly 350 votes, according to the Tompkins County Board of Elections. This comes after Ed Kopko won the in-person election day vote by nearly 600 ballots. Van Houten then secured the victory with nearly 1,000 votes in absentee ballots.

Finally, for Ithaca City Judge, Seth Peacock has won the judge seat over Dan Johnson, securing over 82% of the vote.