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Early Voting Over;

On To Main Event

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – A total of 5,223 ballots were cast during the nine-day early-voting period that ended at 2 p.m. today, according to Mike Henrici, the Democratic elections commissioner.

That compares to 367 early votes in 2018, according to Democratic Elections Commissioner Mike Henrici.  That was a non-presidential year and the first time early voting was allowed.

Of the early votes, 2,620 were cast by registered Democrats; 1,402 by registered Republicans, said Henrici. (It’s not known how many Democrats and Republicans may have voted for the other party’s candidates.)

Independents cast 876 ballots; the rest were split among six minor parties.

Key races include for president, State Senate 51st District, where Republican Peter Oberacker and Democrat Jim Barber are vying to succeed Jim Seward, R-Milford, who is retiring, and Assembly 121st District, where Republican John Salka of Brookfield is being challenged by Democrat Dan Buttermann, Oneonta.

This year, ballots in the presidential election may be cast in three ways:  One, the early voting that now ended.  Two, day-of voting – polls will be open 6 a.m.- 9 p.m. this Tuesday, Nov. 3, which is Election Day.

The third option is absentee voting (the deadline to request an absentee ballot passed last Tuesday.  Of the 5,981 absentee ballots requested, 4,675 were returned by this afternoon, Henrici said.

Absentee ballots that are postmarked or dropped off at the Board of Elections by Nov. 3, Election Day, will be counted on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Henrici said.