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t 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, polling places for the 2024 United States general elections will open up to in-person voters in New York state. From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., New Yorkers will cast their ballots to determine who will be the next president of the U.S. and decide multiple other local races.
Before then, many will have already voted through New York’s early voting system, which began on Saturday, Oct. 26 and will end on Sunday, Nov. 3 — two days before Election Day. Many will also vote using an absentee ballot, which is a ballot mailed in advance of an election by a voter unable to attend the polls in person.
In order to vote in the general elections, New York voters must have registered by Oct. 26.
One week out from Election Day, The Daily Orange has broken down everything Syracuse University, city of Syracuse and central New York voters need to know before casting their vote.
Candidates on the ballot
U.S. President
- Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DEM)
- Former President Donald Trump and running mate Ohio State Sen. J.D. Vance (REP)
U.S. Senate
- Incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (DEM)
- Michael Sapraicone (REP)
- Diane Sare (LAR)
U.S. House of Representatives – 22nd Congressional District
- New York State Sen. John Mannion (DEM)
- Incumbent Rep. Brandon Williams (REP)
New York State Senate – 48th district
- Incumbent Sen. Rachel May (DEM)
- Caleb Slater (REP)
New York State Senate – 50th district
- Onondaga County Legislature Minority Leader Christopher Ryan (DEM)
- Salina Town Supervisor Nicholas Paro (REP)
New York State Assembly – 126th district
- Ian Phillips (DEM)
- Incumbent Assemblyman John Lemondes Jr. (REP)
New York State Assembly – 127th district
- Incumbent Assemblyman Albert Stirpe Jr. (DEM)
- Manlius Zoning Board Chair Timothy Kelly (REP)
New York State Assembly – 128th district
- Incumbent Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter (DEM)
- Town of Salina Third Ward Councilor Daniel Ciciarelli (REP)
New York State Assembly – 129th district
- Incumbent Assemblyman William Magnarelli (DEM)
Onondaga County Family Court Judge
- Christina El Bayadi (DEM)
- Jason Zeigler (REP)
Syracuse City Court Judge
- Ross Andrews (DEM)
- Staci Dennis-Taylor (DEM)
Voting qualifications and polling locations
A list of voting qualifications along with early voting dates and times can be found here. A New York resident must meet the following qualifications in order to vote in the state:
- U.S. citizen
- Age 18 or older
- A resident of New York state and the county, city or village you are voting in for at least 30 days before the election
- Not be in prison for a felony conviction
- Not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court
- Not claim the right to vote elsewhere
The New York State Board of Elections site can be used to verify voter registration and find your polling place.
A complete list of all the polling locations in Onondaga County, according to a voter’s residence, can be found here. There are two polling places on SU’s campus — Goldstein Student Center on South Campus and Huntington Hall.
Proposal Number One
This election’s ballot will vote upon Proposal Number One, an amendment to the state constitution formerly known as the New York Equal Rights Amendment.
The proposal would expand the scope of the state’s anti-discrimination laws. If passed, New York state would legally protect additional identity categories — including age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy status — from discrimination.
The New York State Human Rights Law currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of “age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, marital status or disability” in employment, housing, education, credit and access to public accommodations.
New York’s Republican Party is against the adoption of the proposition, saying that “all bets are off on how far this can go.” Meanwhile, Democrats support the proposition due to its power to codify reproductive rights and provide equal protections for all New Yorkers.
Key issues
Issues that have been at the forefront of the political conversation in Onondaga County include the future of abortion rights within the state and the city of Syracuse’s housing crisis, along with pushing the Syracuse Housing Strategy — which aims to address the city’s housing crisis and market and affordability gap.
The NY-22 Congressional District nominees, Mannion and Williams, discussed these topics in all four of their past televised debates.
Mannion has been outspoken on his belief that abortion is a women-rights issue, rather than a state-rights issue, while Williams has pushed his pro-life status. Williams said he is pro-life with the exceptions of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother. Neither have said they support a national abortion ban.
Mannion has also said during the third NY-22 debate that he supports the revitalization of the East Adams neighborhood in Syracuse. Williams has contributed to securing a $50 million grant to support the increase of housing supply.
In New York state’s 48th district, May, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican opponent Slater are facing off to represent the area, which encompasses the entirety of the city of Syracuse along with several other towns in Onondaga county.
Both candidates are focused upon juvenile crimes about which residents have expressed concern, including car thefts and burglaries. Slater supports long-term investment in families in parts of the city that are suffering the most, while May supports more funding for outreach, including the Boys and Girls Clubs.
Gillibrand is seeking her third six-year term in the U.S. Senate since first being appointed in 2009. She is fighting for re-election against GOP challenger Sapraicone.
Sapraicone said that, while he is pro-life, he would not support a national abortion ban. He supports access to IVF through Medicare and personal insurance. Gillibrand supports Prop. 1 and its efforts to protect a woman’s right to abortion.
Sapraicone also supports a complete closure of the U.S. border and wishes to evaluate everybody entering the country. Meanwhile, Gillibrand calls for right-sizing the system to ensure there is a correct number of visas for the number of available jobs.
Illustration by Hannah Mesa | Design Editor
Published on October 31, 2024 at 1:08 am
Contact Madeline: mmgoodhe@syr.edu
