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People are taking their civic duty more seriously in this election than in those of years past. As of Sunday, 308,296 people in Onondaga County were registered to vote, the highest number since reporting began in 1996. More than one-third of the county’s voters, 111,064 people, cast their ballots as of Sunday. 

These numbers normally wouldn’t be all that exciting, but every vote counts in a district where the latest polling data shows both congressional candidates to be tied. It appears like the race between Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) and Democrat Dana Balter will come down to the final moments.

Rosa Colman, communications director for Balter’s campaign, thinks the uptick in voter registration is a good sign.

“(It’s a) positive, not just for Dana’s campaign but for our democracy,” she said. 

However, it appears unaffiliated voters will have the final say across many political races, including in our congressional district. In New York’s 24th Congressional District, 105,000 voters were not registered for the Republican or Democratic parties as of Sunday. But Democrats still have the advantage, Colman said, as registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans. 

Michael Hunter, the chairman of the Onondaga County Conservative Party, sees the increase in voter registration as a push for his party’s candidates, as registration for both major parties and unaffiliated voters are split three ways. 

“Even though we only account for 1% of registration, every year we go on to deliver 7-8% of the votes,” he said. 

This is fairly remarkable, because the Conservative Party shouldn’t be a huge force in New York elections on paper. But many registered Republicans may vote with the conservatives out of protest for the larger party’s actions.

Unaffiliated voters account for a huge increase in new registrations, and conservative voices may be a tipping point in a highly contested race this year.

“Conservatives don’t like to announce their affiliation,” Hunter said.

Although Hunter and Colman acknowledged that Onondaga County historically goes blue for presidential races, Colman feels that Democratic momentum might help Balter. Hunter is more skeptical, and he thinks that specific towns and localities could go either way.

Another point of contention is the highly publicized idea of a “blue wave,” in which Democrats win the presidency and obtain a majority in Congress. The pandemic might also influence voters to lean left, Colman said.

“Not only are their lives not getting back to normal, but they’re also not getting the relief they need under the current Republican administration and Senate,” she said. 

Hunter, however, isn’t sold on the idea. He doesn’t trust national polling data, particularly after the 2016 election.

I’ve always considered Republicans and conservatives to be pretty much the same group, and that isn’t far off, considering they often support the same candidates. But it appears that conservatives will help decide our local elections, as well as the presidency. 

The Conservative Party in New York could be a real factor in determining the outcomes of our local and national elections. If there’s one thing both Hunter and Colman agree on, it’s that the 24th Congressional District is in a “dead heat.” 

It’s of the utmost importance that students get out and vote. Our democracy works properly when people participate, as Colman said. And if there’s one thing for certain in this election season, it’s that unaffiliated voters will have a voice. 
William Ducott is a sophomore finance, business analytics and economics major. His column appears bi-weekly. He can be reached at wtducott@syr.edu.

Published on November 2, 2020 at 11:50 pm