Early voting has been consistently busy in Livingston County, with wait times of about 30 minutes, said Democratic Elections Commissioner Dave DiPasquale.
He said just over 1,000 people voted early last year. This year, the county surpassed that total in less than three days. He said the busiest day so far was Wednesday, when nearly 800 people voted.
“It's like buying a new iPhone,” said DiPasquale. “They all wait to be the very first one to get it. Not that big of a line, but we have people, probably a bunch of them in line before we open, and sometimes an hour before we open.”
DiPasquale said he’s thrilled about all the enthusiasm about voting and hopes it continues next year when more town and county positions are on the ballot.
Ontario County Republican Elections Commissioner Michael Northrup has similar sentiments. He said he had more early voters on Wednesday -- more than 2,200 people -- than in the entire period last year.
Northrup said wait times at the county’s polling places in Victor, Geneva and Canandaigua also are about a half-hour long, with people showing up before the polls open. Northrup said he doesn’t expect this to slow down.
“Because I think people are really motivated,” said Northup. “Due to the presidential elections and the west side of the county with competitive congressional and Senate district elections.”
Like the 27th Congressional District seat, where Democratic challenger Nate McMurray and Libertarian candidate Duane Whitmer are jousting with Republican Congressman Chris Jacobs. Among other competitive races, Republican state Sen. Pamela Helming is attempting to hold off Democratic challenger Shauna O’Toole in the race for the 54th district.
For early voters like Ashlynn Piccaretto, who voted Thursday at Victor Town Hall, the motivation comes from having your voice heard.
“I think the consensus was to get here and get your vote in instead of waiting until the last minute,” said Piccaretto. “I mean, it's finally a chance to show your political opinion.”
Early voting ends on Sunday. All polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
