It’s getting closer and closer, people. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 — just a mere two weeks away — and if you plan to participate (pretty please, do!), there are a few deadlines we think you should be aware of to make the voting process easier. If you’re on the fence about whether you’re going to vote at all, remember, good people of the South Fork, the wise words of Pericles, the ancient Greek politician and general: “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.”
To start off, it would probably be good to figure out if you are in fact registered to vote in the first place. New York State makes it easy, as you can plug in your information at this handy-dandy little portal here to figure out where you’re registered to vote. If you’re not registered to vote yet, you have some options. Do it in person at the good ol’ DMV in Riverhead or the Suffolk County Board of Elections office in Yaphank. If you don’t feel like making a whole day out of it, feel free to register online here. But don’t dilly dally! The deadline to register to vote, according to the New York State Board of Elections website is this Saturday, Oct. 26. If you’re registering to vote via the DMV website, the deadline is this Friday, Oct. 25.
“You may register at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year but, to be eligible to vote in the General Election, your application must be received no later than October 26,” according to the NYS BOE.
In-person voting will take place within your community at your regular polling place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day. If you’re not sure exactly where your regular polling place is, click here.
If you’re opting to vote absentee, the deadline to request your application is this Saturday. After that, your application must either be personally delivered to the Board of Elections in Yaphank by 9 p.m. on Nov. 5 or postmarked by that date.
For primary, general and special elections, early voters are provided with nine days to vote in person prior to Election Day. Early voting will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 3, according to the New York State’s Board of Elections website. Early voting poll sites for hamlets across the South Fork include Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus (39 Tuckahoe Road), the Shelter Island Community Center (1 Bateman Road), St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Westhampton Beach (40 Main St.), and Windmill Village in East Hampton (219 Accabonac Road). Early voting hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 26, 27 and 28; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30; noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3.
If you have questions, call the Suffolk County Board of Elections in Yaphank at 631-852-4500 or the NY State Board of Elections at 518-474-1953.