What to know heading into election day in Syracuse
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Election day is on Nov. 8 and people will be voting for their governor, congressional representatives and a new ballot proposition in Syracuse and across New York State. Here’s what you should know.
Registering to Vote
People can request an absentee ballot through the board’s request portal by the end of the day on Oct. 24.
To vote, people must be 18 years old, a United States citizen and a resident of their municipality for at least 30 days. Additionally, people must not be in prison, claim the right to vote elsewhere or “be adjudged as mentally incompetent by a court,” according to the New York State Board of Elections.
Voting in Syracuse
Francis Conole and Brandon Williams are running to represent New York Congressional District 22 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Syracuse is currently represented by John Katko, who is not seeking re-election.
Conole is a Democrat, veteran and Syracuse native. He has campaigned on expanding clean energy and lowering prescription drug costs, in addition to nationally codifying the right to an abortion and reforming campaign fundraising.
Williams, a Republican, opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest and danger to life of the mother. He has worked in tech and has stated that he wants to create more regulation for the industry. Conole and Williams will debate on Wednesday in association with Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Julie Abbott and Incumbent Rachel May are competing to represent District 48, which includes Syracuse, in the New York State Senate.
Abbott, a Republican, is an SU alumna and former news anchor and journalist with Syracuse ABC News Channel 9. She is currently serving as County Legislator to the 6th Legislative District of Onondaga County, which includes the towns of Camillus, Marcellus, Otisco, Skaneateles and Spafford.
May, a Democrat and member of the Working Families party, is the incumbent for the seat. She has served since 2019. May previously worked as director of sustainability education at SU.
Abbott has advocated for environmental protections and further investments in mental health resources in public schools. She also supports pro-choice policies with the exception of late-term abortions.
May has passed legislation on reforming criminal justice, voting and environmental protections. She also advocates for universal health care, increased labor rights and gun reform.
Voting throughout New York state
Everyone voting in New York will have a few similar items on their ballot, including voting on the governor and this year’s proposal: the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
In the gubernatorial election, SU alumna and incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul is against Republican and Lee Zeldin. Zeldin currently represents the state’s first district in Congress.
Throughout the race, Hochul has emphasized reproductive rights. In July, Hochul called an extraordinary session of the New York State Legislature to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution.
Zeldin has focused much of his campaign on crime, specifically attacking Democratic efforts to reform bail. Zeldin has said during the campaign that he will declare a “crime emergency” if elected and suspend reforms made to bail.
The race, which is still listed as “SOLID D” for Democrat by the Cook Political Report, has tightened over recent weeks. In an Oct. 18 Quinnipiac University poll, 50% of likely voters said they would vote for Hochul and 46% chose Zeldin.
The state’s proposal on funding capital projects related to the environment will also be on the ballot.
The proposal would authorize the creation of state debt and state bonds up to $4.2 billion to “preserve, enhance, and restore New York’s natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change,” according to the proposal’s abstract.
