It’s a bit too much.
I am a huge supporter of the right to vote. But, in the city of Albany, I’ll have WAY too many opportunities in 2016. And except for the first item, this would also apply to the rest of the state.
*High school referendum revote: February 9. Polls Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Vote at the elementary school.
*Presidential Primary: April 19. Polls Open 12 noon-9 p.m. Vote at the library.
The polling hours, not incidentally, are a source of irritation among some of us in upstate New York. Nine hours represent the shortest number of hours of any state in the country. Meanwhile, the polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., the GREATEST number of hours in the country, if you live in New York City or the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, and Erie; all are downstate, except for Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo.
Also, for already registered voters, any change to party enrollment was to have been requested by October 9th, 2015 in order for it to have gone into effect and be applicable for ANY primary election occurring in 2016. The deadline for new voter registrations was March 25th. This meant that you were a registered voter in 2015, but not enrolled as either a Democrat or Republican, then decided in November 2015, that you wanted to vote in five months for Bernie or Hillary or Ted or the Donald or John Kasich, you were out of luck.
New York has, by a period of at least three months, the most restrictive access to the primary ballot.
*City School District of Albany’s budget vote: May 17. Polls open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Vote at the elementary school.
Also includes the library trustees and the library budget, but NOT the school board, which is elected in November.
*Federal Primary Election: June 28. Polls Open 12 noon-9 p.m. Vote at the library.
Member, United States Senate (1)
Member, U.S. House of Representatives, 20th Congressional District
There has been a push to combine at least the Presidential primary with that for other federal candidates, or the non-Presidential federal primary with the state and local contests. OBVIOUSLY, that hasn’t worked out yet.
(As it turns out, I have nothing to vote for here, but others in the state will.)
*Primary Election: September 13. Polls Open 12 noon- 9 p.m. Vote at the library.
These may not all be contested, but these are the offices that could be up:
New York State Senate
Justice of the Supreme Court, 3rd JD (2)
Member, New York State Assembly
District Attorney (County) – 4-year term
County Court Judge (1) – 10-year term
Albany City Court Judge (1) – 10-year term
*General Election: November 8. Polls Open 6 a.m.- 9 p.m. Vote at the library.
As you can see, I will have a plethora of opportunities to cast my ballot, at two different venues. If there were contests at each of these levels, that’d be SIX times I’d vote; alas, it’s only five, merely tying my personal record from 1976, two of which were school budget votes.
