During the election season, we will have the opportunity to vote for our representatives –  in our towns, counties, states, and in the House of Representatives. For a country to be a democracy it needs to have a way to hear from its citizens, and that is by receiving their votes. And yet, how many times have you heard a possible voter say “Why should I bother to vote. My vote doesn’t count”? Every year, Ballotpedia, which covers thousands of elections at all levels of government, from the halls of Congress down to school boards, has found that while there are plenty of elections where a candidate wins by a large margin, there are also several that are decided by a dozen or fewer votes. Since 2018, there were 660 elections decided by 10 or fewer votes. Of those 660 elections, 394 were determined by fewer than five votes, including 94 decided by a single vote. 

There are many ways that we can vote. Voters who cannot get to the poll, or are away from Suffolk County, can vote by mail, using a mail-in ballot sent to them by the Board of Elections. Many are voters who have disabilities that entitle them to vote permanently by mail-in ballot. Apply for an  early mail ballot by contacting the Suffolk County Board of Elections or the New York State Board of Elections. It will be mailed to the voter. The completed, signed ballots need to be postmarked or handed in to the voter’s polling place no later than 9 pm on Election Day, November 3. 

Because of concerns about the safety at the polls at the local level, for the first time ever, the League is offering election protection training to its members in partnership with the NAACP and Common Cause. The election protection volunteer will ensure that the entrance to the polling place is accessible, without intimidation from campaigners or ICE personnel, check that voters are not required to show an ID unless under a special condition, and otherwise monitor the election site. Their goal is to promote transparency, document procedures, deter misconduct and build public trust, and ensure no voter is turned away without a way to vote. Volunteers will have multiple training opportunities and use a standardized observation checklist to document polling place conditions, such as accessibility, wait times, and other aspects of the voting experience. The observation process does not include reviewing or verifying vote counts or voter totals. Go to http://protectthevote.net for more information about the training.

Before you vote, check to make sure that you are registered (go to theLeague’s website (www.vote411.org) or https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/.  If you are not registered, be sure to complete a voter registration form which can be completed online at suffolkvotes.com. Registration forms should be available  from your post office or library or visit the Board of Elections office at 700 Yaphank Avenue in Yaphank from 9am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday to pick up, complete, and submit your voter registration form. The last day for voter registration forms to be submitted is 10/24. This is known as Golden Day – people can register and vote by affidavit ballot at any polling place in Suffolk County. The Board of Elections will be open all day October 24 from 9 to 5. 

Important for voters who travel to other states for the winter: the Board of Elections mails a postcard in late winter to all registered voters in the county. Since it is not forwardable it may be returned to the “sender” - the Suffolk County Board of Elections – and they may think you have moved and  thus remove you from the list of active voters. If so, check your voter status (it should be “active” at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/.  , complete and submit a new voter registration form or contact the Suffolk County Board of Elections at (631) 853-4500.

Before you vote, gather information about the candidates on the ballot.  The League’s Vote411.org shows the candidates who will be on your ballot and the answers they have given to questions related to current issues. It is clear that your vote will matter.  If you wish to vote in person, make a plan with your neighbors or family members-- to go to your polling place to cast your vote and be heard.

Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Visit https://my.lwv.org/new-york/suffolk-county or call 631-862-6860.