Tompkins County Resident Reflects on Early Voting

Early voting in Tompkins County reflected the national trend in turnout this year, with a majority of voters choosing to cast their ballots early in person and via absentee mail-in voting. The experiences of one young voter - Keara Byron, a life-long resident of Tompkins County - show that access to early polling stations is key to safely and securely casting votes during a pandemic.

Byron, who grew up in Ithaca and studied musical theater at Ithaca College, now lives in New York City to pursue acting. As a recent college graduate of 2019, Byron still holds a permanent address in Ithaca and is registered to vote in Tompkins County. She says that multiple factors influenced her to vote in person on the second day of early voting.

“I've only ever voted in person and if it has a relatively safe place, and everybody's been really great with social distancing and wearing masks,” Byron says. “So I wanted to drive from New York [City] to vote.”

Emphasis on Access and Safety

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, passed an executive order Sept. 8 mandating local election officials to draft plans on how voters can drop off absentee ballots at polling and election office locations. A new law signed August 20 has, for the first time, allowed voters to request an absentee ballot due to risk of illness, including COVID-19 infection.

Voters wait to enter the Tioga St polling location

In a statement released by the governor’s office, Cuomo says “these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election at one of the most important moments in our nation's history."

In Tompkins County, over 14 thousand absentee ballots were sent out by the Board of Elections, and over 11 thousand were returned by election day. An additional 14 thousand people took advantage of the nine-day early voting window which began Oct. 24.

Vote Your Values

Although she lives in New York City now, Byron says “I do feel more aligned with voting in Ithaca and the community in Ithaca right now … I wanted to make sure that the people that are that are elected to represent our county represent the core values of Ithaca.”

Tompkins County Voters went into the ballot box - or mailbox - voting not only for the presidential election, but for New York’s 23rd Congressional Election District. GOP incumbent and now re-elected Congressman Tom Reed faced off against two-time challenger and democrat, Tracy Mitrano.

Mitrano is notoriously supported by progressive voters in the City of Ithaca, and ran on a platform focused on economic and environmental sustainability, addressing racial and social justice, and providing quality social services.

“I am a big supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, and LGBTQ plus rights and women's rights,” Byron says. And I feel like there are people on the ballot that might threaten those rights of marginalized groups of people.”

Byron (left) says she her supportive mom Leslie picked her up in NYC in order to vote in person. Photo by Byron

A time old tale of Tompkins County politics influenced Byron’s decision to vote early and make her voice known: the idea that Ithaca is a progressive bastion within the more conservative county.

“I feel like the surrounding areas aren't necessarily as liberal. But we're all in the same district. So I wanted to make sure that my vote was going toward politicians that I really believe will better our district and our county,” Byron says.

When asked what she hopes to get out of this election, Byron says her goals go beyond who ends up in the White House.

“I hope people take the last 2016 election and then this election as a big learning curve, and a learning opportunity, that we can really affect change.”