Letter to the Editor

To the Editor of The State Times,

SUNY Oneonta and Oneonta area residents have a chance to participate in important primary elections this Spring. The primary elections may be close and a relatively small number of voters in most primaries means your vote can be significant. Your vote is your voice, but to vote you must be registered!

The Presidential primary election in New York is April 19. The primary battle for party nominations in both the Republican and Democratic parties will likely still be in full swing. To participate you must be registered by March 25.

To vote in our local New York 19th Congressional District Primary election on June 28, you must be registered in the district by June 3.

Later this year, primaries for State and Local positions are currently scheduled for September 13, with a registration deadline of August 24.

Unlike the “open” primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina, where you can “cross over” and vote on any party’s ballot, New York holds “closed” primaries — in New York you can only vote in the party in which you are registered.

For already registered voters, the deadline for switching parties is long past, but — AND STUDENTS TAKE NOTE — in keeping with the deadlines above, you can change your legal address and be eligible to vote locally.

For instructions on how to register, get an absentee ballot, or check your current registration, party affiliation, polling place, etc., visit VOTE411.ORG, a service of the League of Women Voters or contact your local Board of Elections. In Otsego County, the Board of Elections can be reached at (607) 547-4247. You can also register to vote online by making an account on dmv.org and following a few steps.

To help area voters make informed choices, once these primary election ballots are finalized, the local League of Women Voters chapters in Oneonta and Cooperstown intend to organize local candidate forums/debates.

Sincerely,

Paul Conway

Steering Committee of the League of

Women Voters of the Oneonta Area

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