The November 3rd mid-term elections are six weeks away and the League of Women Voters wants citizens to be ready to make their voices heard in the voting booth. The first thing Otsego County voters may notice is that the ballot is long! Following changes in 2023 to New York’s election law, most local officials will now be elected in even years. This year, along with the usual statewide mid-term races—U.S. Congress, Governor, Lt. Governor, State Comptroller, State Attorney General, State Senators, and State Assemblypersons—voters will also choose town supervisors and council members, highway officials, and other local offices. The change will make for a long ballot, but the League of Women Voters is ready to help voters prepare for November 3.
Registering to vote is the first step in preparing for Election Day. The League of Women Voters’ VOTE411.org website is an easy-to-use tool that makes registering quick and simple. People who have a NY State driver’s license or a NY State identification card can complete the registration form online. Voters can also download a registration form and mail it to the Board of Elections. Already registered? The League recommends checking your registration status on VOTE411.org to make sure your name is correct and address is up-to-date. The deadline for registering is October 24; voters who need to update their address must return the change by October 18 to the Board of Elections.
Once voters have registered and verified and updated their registration, the next step is learning about the candidates. Vote411.org also provides a view of a voter’s specific ballot.
“While knowing who is running is essential, it’s not always easy in these times when we are bombarded on all sides by political claims and counter claims to actually choose a candidate,” says Laura Wetzel, co-president of the LWV of the Cooperstown Area. “We encourage voters to first consider which issues are most important to them. Is it the environment, inflation, cost of living, local development? People can check election-related stories in local newspapers or on candidates’ websites to see how candidates’ positions align with their own positions on the issues.”
The League is also planning to provide opportunities for citizens to meet the candidates in person. The LWV Cooperstown will also extend invitations to all candidates running in contested elections in northern Otsego County to participate in candidates’ debates. The plan is to have debates for candidates for the county-wide Sheriff office; county legislators for Districts 6, 7, and 8; and town supervisor in Hartwick (the only contested town election in northern Otsego). Plans are also under consideration to collaborate with neighboring Leagues for debates for the 51st Senate District seat Michele Frazier (D) and Chris Teague (R) and Assembly District 102 candidates Marc Molinaro (R) and Janet Tweed (D).
On the ballot in the Town of Middlefield there will also be a proposition to eliminate the Highway Superintendent as an elected official. The Cooperstown League and the Town will hold an informational meeting on Sunday, October 18, from 3-4:30 p.m., at the Middlefield Town Hall where the pros and cons of the proposal will be discussed.
“The League believes that when voters make a plan to vote they are more likely to actually cast a vote,” says Maureen Murray, LWV Voters Service chair. “So, once again this year we will be distributing a ‘Make a Voting Plan’ handout, which includes information on registration and early voting. The idea is that voters can post it on their bulletin boards and refrigerator doors as a reminder of when and where they plan to vote. We want people to be ready to vote and then to commit to voting
The handouts will be available in local libraries and at various locations around the county and at the League website (www.LWVCooperstown.org).
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