Election Day in Monroe County: Live results and reporting
The WXXI local news team is covering the 2024 elections around Monroe County and Rochester, New York. Check back often to see the latest.
Apparent upset in Livingston County DA race
One of the few upsets in the region in Tuesday’s election was in Livingston County, where incumbent District Attorney Greg McCaffrey, the Democrat and Conservative candidate, was apparently defeated by Republican challenger Ashley Williams.
Final numbers Tuesday night from the Livingston County Board of Elections had Williams with about a 52% to 47% margin, a difference of just under 1,400 votes.
McCaffrey was first appointed to the post by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to fill a vacancy in 2012, and went on to win elections in 2016 and 2020.
He ran on the Democratic and Conservative lines in this latest election.
Ben Beagle, who is Regional Editor for the Livingston County News and the Daily News in Batavia said that up to now, McCaffrey did pretty well in a county which has a number of registered Republicans.
“It is unusual in that 43% of the registered voters in the county are Republican,” said Beagle, so he was, among office holders, I guess you’d say unique, but at the same time, he had either beaten challengers in the past or run uncontested.”
Beagle said it appeared that Williams’ victory was based in part on the strength of the results in southern Livingston County.
Ashley Williams issued a statement saying she is humbled to have earned the trust of the voters to serve as the next DA in Livingston County.
Rush voters approve lease between town and nonprofit
Voters in Rush authorized the town to amend a lease agreement it has with A Horse's Friend Inc., extending the lease term through 2035.
Voters approved the lease by 69% to 31%, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
The town has leased a portion of a town property called White Springs Farm on East River Road to A Horse's Friend since 2022. The nonprofit outreach program introduces youths from underserved populations to horses and riding.
The Town Board signed off on the lease terms last fall. Other amendments would clarify the area under lease as well as common areas of the property the organization shares with the New York Museum of Transportation.
A group of residents petitioned to have the matter placed on the ballot, arguing taxpayers should make the decision about private use of public land. The town sought to void the referendum petition earlier this year, but a judge denied the town’s request.
This article has been corrected to accurately reflect the classification of the leased property.
Greece voters reject proposal to change how the Town Board fills vacancies
Voters in Greece rejected a local law to amend the procedure for filling vacancies on the Town Board and in the supervisor's seat by 55% to 45%, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
The town has said the change is necessary to bring the town statute in line with state law. Under the proposed local law, when a vacancy arises, members of the Town Board would vote on the replacement.
They would choose from a list of at least two town residents, which would be provided by the town or ward committee of the political party to which the previous seat-holder belonged. But the law would also allow the Town Board to consider qualified candidates who are not on the list.
The appointment of a candidate would require a simple majority vote.
Here's a look at the results of Monroe County and regional judicial races
Across Monroe County, there were several local, county, and state judicial races on the ballot Tuesday.
Two candidates battled for a Monroe County Court seat, while four candidates fought for two state Supreme Court seats. There was also a contested court race in Pittsford as well as several uncontested races.
A summary of the results follows.
New York state Supreme Court, 7th Judicial District
Republican Stacey Romeo has likely won one of the two seats that were up for grabs in this four-way race, while Democrat Erin Skinner and Republican Ed White are in the running for the second, separated by 2,000 votes.
Romeo received 25% of the vote, Skinner received 22.6%, and White 22.3%. The fourth candidate, Democrat John Bringewatt, received about 21%.
The 7th Judicial District covers Monroe, Cayuga, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties.
Romeo has served as a Family Court judge since 2017 and has been supervising judge for Family Courts in the 7th Judicial District since 2021. Prior to serving as a judge she was a court attorney in Monroe County Family Court and state Supreme Court.
Skinner is currently a confidential law clerk to Appellate Division Justice Mark Montour. She previously was a clerk for the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, and was an assistant public defender in the Monroe County Public Defender's Office.
White has spent 28 years working for the state Supreme Court as an attorney and principal law clerk. He's served as a volunteer member of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority's board since 2008 and is a former probation officer.
Bringewatt has been Monroe County attorney since 2020. He previously worked in private practice and as a law clerk to Judge Susan Carney of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
This post has been updated to correct the results of the 7th Judicial District race.
Monroe County Court
Democrat Michael Ansaldi pulled in 53% of the vote to best his Republican opponent, Joseph Dinolfo, who received 47% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
Ansaldi is a sitting Pittsford town justice who has worked as principal confidential law clerk to Monroe County Court Judge Michael Dollinger. He previously had his own law office and worked for other firms.
Dinolfo has been an attorney with the New York State Appellate Division since 2011. Before that, he practiced law privately for 18 years. He has practiced family, civil, and criminal law and served as a hearing examiner for the city of Rochester.
County Court serves as a trial court and the judges largely handle felony criminal cases, though like town and village courts they can hear cases that are misdemeanors or minor offenses.
Monroe County Family Court
Democrat Ella Marshall ran uncontested for this seat. She's been elected to serve a 10-year term.
Marshall is currently a self-employed attorney, and she previously worked for seven years as an attorney for the child at the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, five years as an assistant district attorney in the Child Abuse bureau and just under a year as deputy county attorney in the Child Services Unit.
Family Court judges hear matters involving children and families, including adoptions, guardianship, foster care approval and review, juvenile delinquency and Persons in Need of Supervision, domestic violence matters, child protective proceedings around abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, custody and visitation of children, and child support.
Rochester City Court judge
After defeating former Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren in a Democratic primary earlier this year, Michael Geraci ran uncontested in the general election. He has been elected to serve a 10-year term.
Geraci has worked as an attorney for 12 years. He opened his own practice, Geraci Law Offices, in 2018, and before that was an associate at Trevett Cristo Salzer Andolina.
Brighton town justice
John Falk has served as Brighton town justice since 2008, and he has been elected to serve another four-year term. Falk is also a partner at the Faraci Lange law firm.
Pittsford town justice
Democrat Maroun Ajaka pulled in 54% of the vote, beating Republican Adam Oshrin, who pulled in 46%, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
The two candidates ran for the Pittsford town justice seat currently held by Democrat Michael Ansaldi, whose term is up at the end of the year. Ansaldi is running for a County Court judge seat.
Ajaka has been an attorney for more than 23 years, primarily representing people in criminal and family court. He was elected to serve a four-year term.
Oshrin is a principal Appellate Court attorney at the Appellate Division, Fourth Department. Before that, he worked for a private legal practice and as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, serving on the gang prosecution and animal cruelty teams.
Rush town justice
Republican Ryan Lang ran uncontested for Rush town justice seat and has been elected to serve a four-year term.
Lang is retiring from a 32-year career as an investigator with the state Department of Motor Vehicles and is a former Rush Town Board member.
Claudia Tenney reelected to represent sprawling House District
Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney easily defeated her Democratic challenger, David Wagenhauser, to win another two-year term in the 24th District seat of the House of Representatives.
The behemoth 24th District sprawls from eastern Niagara County, tucking around Monroe County and up into the Thousand Islands region. The current iteration was drawn during the once-a-decade redistricting that took place after the 2020 census. Tenney has served in Congress since 2017.
She received 55% of the vote, while Wagenhauser received 33%.
Tenney is an attorney and business owner as well as a former member of the state Assembly. Wagenhauser is a former village of Brockport trustee who now lives in Waterloo. He's worked as a public interest attorney, and he helped run his mother's home care agency.
Pam Helming reelected to the state Senate
helmIncumbent Pamela Helming, R-Canandaigua, defeated her Democratic challenger, Scott Comegys, winning another two-year term in the 54th District seat in the state Senate.
Helming, who has held the seat since 2017, pulled in 53% of the vote, according to unofficial results. Comegys received 33%. The district covers Chili, Mendon, Riga, Rush and Wheatland, along with Wayne, Livingston and Ontario counties.
Helming has worked for over 30 years in commercial property management and has experience in regulatory affairs, land use planning, and managing group homes.
Comegys was facilities manager at Strong Memorial Hospital. He's the Wayne County Democratic Committee chair and runs an alpaca farm.
Brian Manktelow reelected to the state Assembly
Incumbent Brian Manktelow, R-Lyons, has been elected to another two-year term in the state Assembly's 130th District seat.
Manktelow, who has held the seat since 2019, received 52% of the vote. His Democratic challenger, James Schuler, got 34%, according to unofficial results.
The district includes Webster and all of Wayne County.
Manktelow is a veteran who owns and operates Manktelow Farms in Lyons.
Schuler is the assistant director of Youth Advocate Programs, a nonprofit that provides services as alternatives to youth incarceration, congregate child welfare, behavioral health and intellectual disabilities placements.
Andrea Bailey wins her first term in the state Assembly
Andrea Bailey, R-Geneseo, has been elected to her first term in the state Assembly's 133rd District seat.
Bailey pulled in 54% of the vote, compared to the 33% received by her Democratic challenger, Colleen Walsh-Williams.
The district covers Livingston County and portions of Monroe, Ontario, Steuben and Wyoming counties. Republican Assemblywoman Marjorie Burns has represented the district since 2019.
A former Geneseo Town Board member, Bailey is currently the Livingston County clerk. She has also worked in retail management.
Walsh-Williams has held positions in several state departments and has served as an elected union leader, as the Public Employees Federation's Rochester regional director, and on the Red Creek Central School Board.
Ann Cunningham elected to seat on Irondequoit Town Board
Several Monroe County towns had races on the ballot Tuesday, but most of them were uncontested.
There was one contested race for an Irondequoit Town Board seat. Democrat Ann Cunningham was elected to a one-year term, pulling in 60% of the vote. Her Republican opponent, Laureen Ortiz, received 40%.
Cunningham was appointed to the Irondequoit Town Board in February to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Kimie Romeo, also a Democrat.
Below are the uncontested races:
- Hamlin Town Board: Incumbent Republican Ricky Wright secured a one-year term.
- Parma Town Board: Incumbent Republican Tod Ferguson secured a three-year term on the Parma Town Board.
- Sweden Town Board: Incumbent Republican Scott Maar secured a one-year term
- Wheatland Highway Superintendent: Incumbent Republican Brian Turner secured a one-year term.
Jamie Romeo holds off challenger to win reelection
Democrat Jamie Romeo was elected to a second four-year term as Monroe County clerk Tuesday.
Romeo, of Irondequoit, received 57% of the vote, while Republican Peter Vazquez got 42% and independent candidate Ann Lewis, who ran on the Monroe County Integrity Party, pulled in 1%.
Romeo was first appointed county clerk in February 2020 and was elected to a four year term that November. She previously served in the state Assembly for a little over a year, as chairperson and executive director of the Monroe County Democratic Committee, and as a legislative aide in the state Senate and county Legislature.
Jen Lunsford reelected to the state Assembly
Democrat Jen Lunsford won re-election to a third term on Tuesday, according to unofficial election returns.
Lunsford received 58% of the vote to Republican challenger Kimberly DeRosa’s 42%.
The 135th Assembly District stretches across the east-side suburbs.
Lunsford, 42, a lawyer from Penfield, was first elected to the Assembly seat in 2020. DeRosa, 47, also of Penfield, has a background in management and human resources.
Sarah Clark reelected to the state Assembly
Voters decided to send Assemblymember Sarah Clark, D-Rochester, back to Albany for a third term.
Clark, who was first elected in 2020, defeated Republican challenger Orlando Rivera, winning 67% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.
The 138th Assembly District covers Brighton, Irondequoit and portions of Rochester, including Charlotte.
Clark, 50, is the incumbent 136th District Assemblymember, and a former aide to Sens. Kirsten Gilibrand and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Rivera, 48, is a licensed real estate professional.
Rivera also lost to Clark in 2022, when Clark received 66% of the vote.
Demond Meeks wins reelection to the state Assembly
Assemblymember Demond Meeks, D-Rochester, won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican challenger Marcus Williams.
Meeks won with 71% of the vote, according to unofficial results. The 45-year-old former labor organizer was first elected to the Assembly in 2020.
The 137th District stretches from northeast to southwest Rochester and extends to Gates.
Williams, 42, is an entrepreneur. He also lost a challenge to Meeks in 2022. In that contest, Meeks took 68% of the vote.
Harry Bronson elected to eighth term in the state Assembly
The dean of Rochester’s state delegation, Democratic Assemblymember Harry Bronson, won re-election Tuesday, capturing 61% of the vote.
Bronson bested Republican challenger Tracy DiFlorio in a rematch from 2022, securing an eighth term, according to unofficial election results.
The district encompasses many of the city’s east-side neighborhoods, also including the South Wedge, along with Henrietta, Chili, Riga and the village of Churchville.
Bronson, 65, of Rochester, is a former Monroe County legislator, while DiFlorio, 61, of Chili, has served as a county lawmaker since 2016. Bronson was first elected to the Assembly in 2010. He defeated DiFlorio with nearly 60% of the vote two years ago.
Samra Brouk reelected to the state Senate
Monroe County voters re-elected Sen. Samra Brouk, D-Rochester, on Tuesday.
Brouk led Republican challenger Luis Martinez with 61% of the vote and 85% of election district reporting, according to unofficial election returns.
The 38-year-old Brouk was first elected to the state Senate in 2020. The 55th Senate District stretches from Henrietta to Irondequoit, encompassing the east side suburbs and the eastern portion of the city.
Her background is in nonprofits and fundraising for startup companies.
Martinez, 75, of Pittsford, had a 40-year career in human resources.
Jeremy Cooney fights off challenge to win reelection to the state Senate
Jeremy Cooney, D-Rochester, defeated his Republican challenger, former Gates Police Chief James VanBrederode, winning another two-year term in the 56th District seat in the state Senate.
The district covers the towns of Brighton, Gates, Greece, and Henrietta and parts of the city of Rochester, including Charlotte, Maplewood, and the University of Rochester campus.
With most election districts reporting, Cooney, who has held the seat since 2021, pulled in 58% of the vote, according to unofficial results. Vanbrederode received 42%.
Cooney has held several positions in government, philanthropic fundraising, and public strategy.
New York voters pass ballot Proposal One, also known as the Equal Rights Amendment
The Associated Press is projecting that New Yorkers will pass ballot Proposal Number One, the Equal Rights Amendment.
At the time AP called the race, 59% of voters supported the measure and 32% opposed it, according to unofficial results from the New York state Board of Elections. Half of election districts across the state had reported their counts at the time.
In Monroe County, the vote fell along similar margins, with the majority of ballots cast in favor of Prop One.
According to the text of the ballot measure:
"This proposal would protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity and pregnancy. It also protects against unequal treatment based on reproductive healthcare and autonomy."
In short, the amendment makes existing state anti-discrimination laws and abortion protections part of the state constitution, which makes them harder to undo. Some proponents have said the constitutional amendment is necessary to shield those rights and protections from “shifting political winds.”
But the measure also proved controversial, with opponents framing it as the "Parent Replacement Act." They cited concerns around transgender athletes playing on girls sports teams and around minors pursuing gender-affirming surgery without their parents' consent.
But in its analysis of the measure, the New York City Bar Association said that it won't have an effect on current state laws around parental rights and participation on sports teams.
Some opponents had also claimed that the measure would enable non-citizen voting, a claim the NYC Bar Association refuted. It said a different section of the state constitution governs voting qualifications.
"Prop 1 does not enfranchise any new classes of voters," it said in a fact sheet.
AP calls House race for Rep. Joe Morelle
The Associated Press has called the race for New York's 25th District Seat in the House of Representatives for incumbent Democrat Joe Morelle.
Polling sites in Monroe and Ontario counties are still reporting their counts. But in Monroe County, Morelle led with almost 64% of the vote at the time AP called the race, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
Morelle's Republican challenger, Gregg Sadwick, had about 36% of the vote.
Sadwick, the owner and operator of Solid Surfaces and Flower City Collision, faced an uphill battle against a longtime fixture in Monroe County politics.
Morelle has served in Congress since he was first elected to succeed longtime Democratic House Rep. Louise Slaughter after her death in 2018. Previously, Morelle served in the state Assembly for almost 30 years, ending his tenure there as the chamber's majority leader.
This will be Morelle's fourth two-year term in the House.
Images from the Democrats' gathering
More scenes from the Monroe County Democrats' gathering at the Hyatt hotel in downtown Rochester:
AP calls Senate race for incumbent Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand
The Associated Press has called the race for a New York seat in the U.S. Senate for Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand.
Gillibrand has served as New York's junior senator since 2009. She prevailed in a three-way race to win another six-year term in the U.S. Senate, beating out Republican Mike Sapraicone and LaRouche party candidate Diane Sare.
Gillibrand released this statement:
“This victory makes it absolutely clear that New Yorkers believe in a government that works, and that we must put people over politics. I am committed to finding common sense solutions, which is why I always reach across the aisle to find common ground, from delivering health benefits for first responders and veterans, to taking illegal guns off the street, to bringing down costs for New York families. New Yorkers believe in fundamental truths, like caring about our neighbors and treating others with kindness, decency and respect. That has been, and will continue to be, the hallmark of my public service."
At the time of publication, it wasn't clear which party was likely to gain control of the upper house of Congress. Heading into the election, Democrats held 47 seats in the Senate while Republicans held 49. Democrats control the chamber with support from three independent senators.
Morelle supporters gather at separate location
After running unopposed, Ortt is reelected to the state Senate
Republican Robert Ortt ran uncontested for the 62nd District seat in the state Senate. He has secured another two-year term.
Ortt, the former mayor of North Tonawanda, has held the seat since 2015 and he is the leader of the Senate's Republican minority. He is a veteran who works as a personal financial analyst.
The district covers towns of Sweden and Ogden as well as all of Orleans and Niagara counties.
In uncontested race, Jensen is reelected to the state Assembly
Republican Joshua Jensen ran uncontested for the 134th District seat in the state Assembly. He has secured another two-year term.
Jensen, a Greece resident, has held his Assembly seat since 2021. He previously served on the Greece Town Board and has worked in several public relations positions.
The district covers the towns of Greece, Ogden and Parma and the villages of Hilton and Spencerport.
Hawley, who was unopposed, is reelected to the state Assembly
Republican Steve Hawley ran uncontested for the 139th District seat in the state Assembly. He has secured another two-year term.
Hawley, of Batavia, has held his Assembly seat since 2006. He owns a property and casualty insurance agency and is the former owner and operator of a farm.
The district covers the western section of Monroe County.
Images from the Republican gathering
WXXI's Katie Epner is at the Italian American Community Center in Gates, where Monroe County Republicans are gathering tonight, and captured these images:
Republican chairman addresses what looks to be a lackluster turnout
Monroe County Republican Chairman Pat Reilly addressed what appears to be very low turnout locally, particularly in the city, saying in an interview, "I think what's happening is we're not drawing extra people out this year, because basically, we've got two presidential candidates that quite a lot of people are not supporting" for one reason or another.
But he thinks Republicans are outperforming their party registration numbers. So what does that mean for the party going forward?
"I think for us, it's getting out of our comfort zone from the way the party's been run," Reilly said. "We've been the party of the suburbs for so long. It's sort of ingrained in how we do everything, and we do it this way because we always have, and we always have because that was the makeup of the party.
"Well, that has changed. So now what we do has to change, and who we reach out to, and where we spend our time and our resources. ... From the point of view of the minority party — there's a big opportunity for us."
Democrats gathering tonight in downtown Rochester
Monroe County Democrats will gather tonight at the Hyatt hotel in downtown Rochester. Here are some early images of what's happening there:
'Take a breath, take a moment, and take a step back'
At an election watch party tonight at ROC Cinema called "Divas of Democracy," drag performers Aggy Dune and Darienne Lake are here to “celebrate or commiserate” as results come in.
But regardless of the outcome of this election, Aggy Dune has some advice:
"Take a breath, take a moment, and take a step back. Everything is not all or nothing. We all will be Americans tomorrow regardless of the results. We all will have to find a way to get along and find that commonality that we all have. Some are gonna be very excited, some are gonna be very disappointed.
"But at the end of the day, just take a breath. We'll get through this together, and if you need it, call on your local drag queen to come over and tell some jokes."
Republicans gathering tonight in Gates
Monroe County Republicans are gathering tonight at the Italian American Community Center in Gates.
Bocce Night is wrapping up outside, while inside, the crowd has yet to gather in a big open ballroom ringed by a second-floor balcony.
It's likely that people will spend much of the night in a room off the main ballroom with a bar and a big screen that is tuned to NBC’s national election coverage.
In Gates, plenty of action as voters turn out
WXXI News photojournalist Max Schulte was out at the Gates Town Hall polling site around midday and captured these images:
A new voter in Gates
Angela Poghosyan, a visiting WXXI News fellow from Armenia, was at the polling site at Gates Town Hall this morning and saw first-time voter Courtney Hammerle arrive to cheers to cast her ballot.
Continuing the tradition at Susan B. Anthony's grave site
Vega Andriasyan, a visiting WXXI News fellow from Armenia, visited Susan B. Anthony's final resting place in Mount Hope Cemetery on Election Day and captured images of what's become a local tradition: Sticking the "I Voted" stickers on the suffragist's tombstone.
To see a video by Andriasyan and WXXI News intern Meili Shepherd talking to people who visited the grave site, click here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_2QslOaZ6/?igsh=ZXFqdnU0Njl3dG14
Steady voting this morning at East High School polling site
WXXI News photojournalist Max Schulte was out at the East High School polling site this morning and captured these images:
Expect a very warm Election Day
Voters heading out to the polls today can expect temperatures that will approach record-high territory, with an expected high of 75.
The record is 77 in 2022.
Otherwise, there should be intervals of clouds and sunshine, and it’ll be breezy.
Tonight, it’ll remain unusually mild, with a low of 60 and patchy clouds.
Stay with the WXXI News team all day and night for news and results
Welcome to the WXXI News live blog, where we will be reporting news and events throughout Election Day and into the night.
We'll have reporters out at polling sites during voting hours and at the parties' election night gatherings as results come in — and the winners are determined.
In addition to this live blog, we'll have NPR coverage starting at 7 p.m. on WXXI radio (FM 105.9 and AM 1370), with local updates starting at 8:15 p.m. We'll also be streaming on this website.
For television coverage, watch PBS News VOTE 2024 on WXXI-TV. We'll also have local updates there throughout the night.
Check back here often for the latest updates and results, and email any news tips to us at newsroom@wxxi.org.
What's on the ballot in Greece (and Rush)
A reader sent in a question asking, "What is local proposition 1 in Greece?"
Here's the answer:
Greece ballot measure
Voters in Greece will be asked to consider a local law amending the procedure for filling vacancies on the Town Board and the supervisor position.
The town has said the change is necessary to bring the town statute in line with state law. Under the proposed local law, when a vacancy arises, members of the Town Board would vote on the replacement.
They would choose from a list of at least two town residents, which would be provided by the town or ward committee of the political party to which the previous seat-holder belonged. But the law would also allow the Town Board to consider qualified candidates who are not on the list.
The appointment of a candidate would require a simple majority vote.
***
And while nobody has written in yet asking about Rush's proposition, here's what's happening there:
Rush ballot measure
Voters in Rush will decide whether to authorize the town to amend a lease agreement it has with A Horse's Friend Inc., extending the lease term through 2035.
The town has leased a portion of a town nature park called White Springs Farm on East River Road to A Horse's Friend since 2022. The nonprofit outreach program introduces youths from underserved populations to horses and riding.
The town board signed off on the lease terms last fall. Other amendments would clarify the area under lease as well as common areas of the property the organization shares with the New York Museum of Transportation.
A group of residents petitioned to have the matter placed on the ballot, arguing taxpayers should make the decision about a private use of public parkland. The town sought to void the referendum petition earlier this year but a judge denied the town’s request.
This post has been updated to provide additional information and clarity.
What's the statewide ballot proposal all about?
A reader wants to know more information about this year's statewide ballot proposal.
Proposition One, as you may have noticed on a lawn sign near you, is creating some divisiveness.
Why? Learn more about the measure in this story from WAMC, our partner station in Albany: https://www.wxxinews.org/2024-10-09/new-yorks-prop-one-is-getting-pulled-into-the-partisan-divide-what-would-it-actually-do
Random text giving bad polling site information
A reader emailed the WXXI Election Hub, saying that they "recently received a text from a random number claiming to be Vote FTW ... with some misleading information about my polling site."
The reader said the text offered a reminder to vote in Tuesday's primary — and it gave the correct date and polling site address, but instead of listing the correct location (School Without Walls), it lists a fire station the reader had never heard of.
"Is this something I should escalate and report or just another crazy thing we have to get used to?" the reader asked.
As it happens, our partner station in Albany, WAMC, also had heard about this, and filed this report Monday:
If you got a text message reminding you about Tuesday’s primaries, state officials say you better double-check the information.
The New York State Board of Elections confirms voters across the state have been getting unsolicited text messages in recent days with incorrect poll site information.
The Board of Elections says the best place to get information about voting is from the state board or county boards of elections.
Polls are open between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. There are no statewide elections, so primary elections depend on which municipality you live in.
And we have more information at this link. Apparently, the company behind the messages is blaming a computer error.
So, reader, you're definitely not alone. And as noted, the state Board of Elections is aware of it, so no need to report it, but you might want to tell your friends and family to be on the lookout for the misleading texts. Their eyes may not be as sharp as yours!
Why did Environmental Advocates NY give the NY HEAT Act a rating of three pine trees?
A reader interested in climate change issues asks the WXXI Election Hub why Environmental Advocates NY gave the NY HEAT Act a rating of three pine trees.
It appears that three pine trees is the highest rating that Environmental Advocates NY gives legislation. The group strongly supports the NY HEAT Act, and the rating indicates it would be a "major benefit" to "help resolve a pressing problem facing New York's environment."
Where do I find out who is running in the Democratic committee primary? (Brighton area)
A reader asked where they can find out who is running for the Democratic committee in Brighton.
Jeremy Moule explains how these races work around the region:
In Brighton, Irondequoit, and the city of Rochester, there are a slew of primaries for local Democratic committee seats. Republicans have no such primaries this year.
If you want to figure out whether there will be one of those primary races on your ballot and who is running for the seat, there are a couple of ways to check. But it all starts with knowing the tiny election district in which you reside.
There are two simple ways to find that information. The Board of Elections sends postcards to voters ahead of races where they're eligible to cast a ballot, and those postcards list your election district number.
But if you don't have that, the county's voter application will tell you. Go to this link, enter your information, and click "Get Voter Info." The screen will update with new information, including your district number, which you can find right above your polling place location.
The app also has a function where you can view the ballot you are supposed to see at your polling place.
But you can also look up who is running in your election district by cross-referencing your district number with this list of candidates from the Monroe County Board of Elections.
