Presidential primary voting in Ontario County: What you should know

CANANDAIGUA, NY — Before the path of totality and the solar eclipse comes the path of inevitability and the race for U.S. president.

The New York state 2024 presidential primary election is 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, six days before the eclipse.

Registered voters enrolled in Democratic and Republican parties will choose the candidate for president they wish to see appear on the respective party ballot lines in this November’s general election.

Who is on the presidential primary ballot?

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump earned enough support after primary elections on Tuesday to become the presumptive nominees for president come the general election Nov. 5, setting up a rematch of 2020 that most everyone who follows politics expected for some time.

Although Biden leads the way for the Democrats, Marianne Williamson, who in the span of less than a month of February dropped out and then re-entered the race, and Dean Phillips, a Minnesota senator who dropped out of the race, remain on the ballot.

Additionally, Democratic Party voters will choose up to four delegates to attend the party’s national nominating convention this summer. They are: Dia Carabajal, Daniel Farfaglia, Lori J. Longhany and John F. Hurley.

Trump is the runaway front-runner on the Republican side, although businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley remain on the ballot. Each of them has formally dropped out of the race.

When is early voting in Ontario County?

The eight-day early voting period begins Saturday, March 23, and runs through Saturday, March 30, at three locations in the county.

The locations are the Board of Education Office, 74 Ontario St., Canandaigua; the Geneva Housing Authority Office, 41 Lewis St., Geneva; and Victor Town Hall, 85 E. Main St., Victor.

Hours for early voting are Saturday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, March 26, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wednesday, March 27, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

How can Ontario County residents vote by mail

To apply for the Early By Mail voting method, submit the application form available at the Ontario County Board of Elections website or online at https://ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/earlymail.

What are the other ways to vote in the presidential primary?

Voters absent from the county, ill or unable to vote in person at the poll (or those primary caregivers for these voters) may apply for an absentee ballot.

The application form is available at the Board of Elections website or at https://ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/absentee.

If you have previously applied for a “permanent” absentee status, there is no need to submit a new application and your ballot will be mailed in the coming days.

Voters with a print disability impairment (for example, blindness, low vision, dyslexia, dysgraphia, learning disabilities and physical disabilities that limit their writing abilities) may request a ballot with accessibility features to assist them. Voters may apply online for this ballot using the Accessible Ballot Application portal at https://ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/accessible.

What are the deadlines?

All applications for early mail, absentee or accessible ballots must be mailed or made online by Saturday, March 23. After March 23, voters may make their application in person at the Board of Elections during normal business hours through April 1.

Voters casting their early mail, absentee or accessible ballot may return them to the Board of Elections:

1. By using the prepaid return postage mail envelope; ensure the ballot is mailed so it receives a postmark no later than April 2.

2. By bringing it to the Board of Elections Office no later than 9 p.m. April 2.

3. By bringing it to an early voting poll site between March 23 and March 30.

4. By bringing it to a poll site in Ontario County by 9 p.m. April 2.

A pro tip: Absentee voters who return their ballots by mail should keep in mind the posted collection times on collection boxes and at the postal service’s retail facilities. Those ballots entered after the last posted collection time will not be postmarked until the following business day.

Voters using the early mail, absentee or accessible ballot voting method can verify online the status of their application and ballot by visiting the New York State Board of Elections Voter Lookup tool at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/.

Voters who are issued an early mail, absentee or accessible ballot are not permitted to cast a ballot on a voting machine. These voters can still vote in person at a poll site using an affidavit ballot, which will be kept separate until the election is completed.

After Election Day, the Board of Elections will verify whether the voter’s early mail, absentee or accessible ballot was received for counting. If the voter’s absentee ballot was received, their affidavit ballot will not be counted. If the voter’s absentee ballot was not received, their affidavit ballot will be counted.

How to vote on April 2?

All 44 Ontario County poll sites will be open from 6 a.m. through 9 p.m. April 2 for in-person voting. Voters who choose to vote on presidential primary Election Day will cast their ballots at their assigned poll site.

Voters unsure of where their poll site is located can find detailed information online at https://vic.ntsdata.com/home/Ontario or by calling the Board of Elections at 585-396-4005.

What about other races in Ontario County?

Should there be primaries involving federal, state and local races, voters would head to the polls on June 25.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Presidential primary voting in Ontario County NY: What you should know