Early voting began Saturday giving Finger Lakes voters nine days to cast ballots in elections for governor, Congress, the state Legislature and local offices before Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This post covers contested candidate races affecting voters in Cayuga, Ontario, Seneca, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne and Yates counties. The races on an individual voter’s ballot depend on their address. In races for multiple seats, a contest is included when the number of candidates exceeds the number of available positions.
Early voting continues through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday was also the deadline for election officials to receive voter registration applications and mailed or online requests for absentee or early-mail ballots. New York’s election dates and deadlines.
Statewide races
Voters in all seven counties will decide these three contests. Governor and lieutenant governor run together as a ticket.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Governor and lieutenant governor | Kathy Hochul and Adrienne Adams, D/WF; Bruce Blakeman and Todd Hood, R/C/Vote Affordable |
| State comptroller | Thomas DiNapoli, D/WF; Joseph Hernandez, R/C |
| Attorney general | Letitia James, D/WF; Saritha Komatireddy, R/C |
Each office carries a four-year term. The candidates appear in the state’s certified ballot information.
State Senate races
Three contested state Senate districts cover the seven counties. Voters choose one senator for a two-year term.
| District | Location(s) | Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| 48th | Cayuga | Rachel May, D/WF; Richard McCarron Jr., R/C |
| 54th | Ontario and Wayne | Michael Mills, D; Pamela Helming, R/C |
| 58th | Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben and Yates | James Bobreski, D; Thomas O’Mara, R/C |
The matchups are listed in the state certification, Ontario County’s state ballot certification and Schuyler County’s candidate list.
State Assembly races
Five contested Assembly races affect voters in these counties. Assembly terms are two years. Where a county is divided among districts, voters should check their sample ballot to identify their contest.
| District | Location(s) | Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| 120th | Part of Cayuga County | Timothy Allers, D; Jim Weatherup, R/C |
| 126th | Part of Cayuga County | Ian Phillips, D/WF; John Lemondes Jr., R/C |
| 130th | Wayne County | Carl Fitzsimmons, D; George Dobbins, R/C; Joseph Lamanna, Common Sense |
| 131st | Parts of Cayuga, Ontario and Seneca counties | Phillip Fleming, D; Mark Benjamin, R/C |
| 133rd | Parts of Ontario and Steuben counties | Gladys Flores, D; Andrea Bailey, R/C |
These contests appear in the state’s certified candidate list and Ontario County’s state ballot certification.
Congressional races
Four contested U.S. House races affect the region. House members serve two-year terms.
| District | Location(s) | Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| 22nd | Part of Cayuga County | John Mannion, D/WF; Kailee Buller, R/C |
| 23rd | Parts of Schuyler and Steuben counties | Aaron Gies, D/WF; Nicholas Langworthy, R/C |
| 24th | All of Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties; parts of Cayuga, Ontario, Schuyler and Steuben counties | Alissa Ellman, D/WF; Claudia Tenney, R/C |
| 25th | Part of Ontario County | Joseph Morelle, D/WF; Virginia McIntyre, R/C |
District coverage and candidates are listed in the state certification and Ontario County’s state ballot certification.
Cayuga County
Cayuga County has a contested County Court race and four contested town races.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| County Court judge | Ben Susman, D; Christopher Valdina, R/C |
| Mentz highway superintendent | David Nielens, D/R/C; Scott Stoneburg, Time for a Change |
| Sterling supervisor | Andrew Joyce, D; Scott Crawford, R/C |
| Throop supervisor | Eric Ridley, D/R/C; Lydia D. Patti Ruffini, independent line bearing her name |
| Throop clerk/tax collector | Paul Westmiller, D; Ashley Scoville, R/C |
The contests appear on the county’s official Auburn, Mentz, Sterling and Throop sample ballots.
Early voting locations are the Cato Municipal Building, 11320 Shortcut Road in Meridian; Booker T. Washington Community Center, 23 Chapman Ave. in Auburn; and Moravia Town Hall, 1630 State Route 38. The Auburn early voting site has moved from Clifford Park to the community center. Check the county’s early voting schedule before traveling.
More voter information: The Cayuga County Board of Elections provides registration and polling-place resources. Find your town’s ballot in the sample ballot directory, or call 315-253-1285.
Ontario County
Ontario County voters have a contested county treasurer’s race and six contested town races.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| County treasurer | Julio Chavez Olivera, D; Jeffrey Trickler, R/C |
| Bristol supervisor | Michael McClain, D/Common Ground; Laura Abplanalp, R/C |
| Manchester justice | Bruce Rosekrans, D; Eric Schaertl, R |
| Naples supervisor | John Cowley, D; William Stopka, R/Vote Affordable |
| South Bristol supervisor | Lisa Moore, D/Citizens for South Bristol; Meghan Fuller, R/C |
| Victor clerk/tax collector, two-year vacancy | Kimberly Sandic, D; Sarah Mitchell, R |
| West Bloomfield council member, one-year vacancy | Matt Ebeling, D/Common Ground; Cristy Mulherin, R/Good Governance |
The races and vacancy terms are listed in Ontario County’s local ballot certification.
Early voting is available at the Board of Elections, 74 Ontario St. in Canandaigua; Geneva Housing Authority offices, 41 Lewis St. in Geneva; and Victor Town Hall, 85 E. Main St. County voters may use any of the three locations. Daily hours are posted on the county’s 2026 general election page, which also links to sample ballots and Election Day polling places.
More voter information: Contact the Ontario County Board of Elections at 585-396-4005.
Seneca County
Seneca County has four contested local elections, including a four-candidate race for two county supervisor seats representing Seneca Falls.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| County sheriff | Kristin Fleming, D/Community Trust; Michael Passalacqua, R/C |
| Covert supervisor | Brad Gottshall, D; Michael Reynolds, R/C |
| Seneca Falls county supervisors — choose up to two | Claire Ludovico and Jennifer Wick, D/People’s Voice; Paul Kronenwetter and Kenneth Hilkert, R/C |
| Tyre justice | Kathleen Jans-Duffy, D/Common Sense; Joshua Olschewske, R/C |
The sheriff’s term and justice’s term are four years. The supervisor terms are two years.
Early voting takes place at the Seneca County Health and Senior Services Building, 2465 Bonadent Drive, Suite 5, in Waterloo.
More voter information: The Seneca County Board of Elections posts the candidate list, town sample ballots, early voting hours and ballot-tracking links. Call 315-539-1760.
Schuyler County
Two county Legislature seats and the Dix town justice position are contested.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| County legislator, District 5 | Scott Burnside, D/Common Sense Schuyler; Charles Scaptura, R |
| County legislator, District 6 | Craig Bond, D/Common Sense Schuyler; Louis Perazzini Jr., R |
| Dix justice | John CT Hayes, D/Common Sense Schuyler; Philip Barnes, R/Listening Party |
Voters choose one candidate in each applicable race. All three positions carry four-year terms, according to the county’s certified candidate list.
Early voting is in the first-floor Legislative Chambers at the County Courthouse, 105 Ninth St. in Watkins Glen. The county’s early voting notice provides daily hours.
More voter information: Visit the Schuyler County Board of Elections for sample ballots, candidate information and polling-place resources, or call 607-535-8195.
Steuben County
Six town-level contests appear on Steuben County’s candidate list.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Corning town council, two one-year vacancies — choose up to two | Trecelle Sweet and Joan Rosen, D; Nicholas Tammaro and Donna Gridley, R |
| Corning town justice | Randy Dye, C/Working Together; Wendalyn VanZile, R/Integrity |
| Rathbone supervisor | Russell Morseman III, R; Ron Brown Jr., Change for Future |
| Tuscarora highway superintendent | Brad Stirl Tucker, D/For the People; David Joe Bottum, R |
| Tuscarora tax collector | Marjorie Myers, D; Kayla Wade, R |
| West Union supervisor | Randy Heckman, R; David Hallett, For the People |
The Corning races are for the town of Corning. The county’s general election candidate guide lists the contests and candidates.
Early voting locations are the County Annex’s second floor, 20 E. Morris St. in Bath; Southeast Steuben County Library, 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza in Corning; and Hornell Arts Center, 56 Broadway Mall. All three offer voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the early voting period. Bath has extended hours until 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. See the county’s early voting notice.
More voter information: The Steuben County Board of Elections links to town and city sample ballots. Call 607-664-2260.
Wayne County
Five local contests give voters a choice among candidates, including village trustee elections in Clyde and Palmyra.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Clyde village trustees — choose up to two | Mel Barber and John Jackson, D; Brad Shimp and Mike Sparky DiSanto, R/C |
| Ontario town supervisor | Jim Switzer, D; Ben Aman, R/C |
| Palmyra village trustees — choose up to two | Linda Valley, D/R/C; Harry Banker, D/C; Gina Luke, R/Palmyra First; Brian Parkison, Palmyra First |
| Rose supervisor | Kenan Baldridge, D; Christine Rice, R/C |
| Savannah highway superintendent | Jeff Liddle, R/Savannah Restoration; Brandon Baker, Hometown Dedication |
The village trustee terms are four years. The supervisor and highway superintendent terms are two years. Candidates are shown on the county’s Clyde, Ontario, Palmyra, Rose and Savannah ballots.
Early voting is at the Wayne County Public Safety Building conference room, 7376 State Route 31 in Lyons, and Ontario Town Hall, 1850 Ridge Road. Hours differ: Lyons offers evening voting until 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; Ontario Town Hall closes at 4 p.m. on weekdays. Check the official Lyons schedule and Ontario schedule.
More voter information: The Wayne County Board of Elections provides town and village sample ballots, polling places and notices. Call 315-946-7400.
Yates County
Milo has two contested local races, each for an unexpired two-year term.
| Office | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Milo clerk | Laura Swarthout, D/Peace & Freedom; Corlin Rea Merritt, R |
| Milo council member | Barbara Craig, D/Save the Taxpayer; James Harris, R |
The matchups and terms are identified in the Yates County election guide.
Early voting is at the Yates County Office Building, 417 Liberty St. in Penn Yan.
More voter information: Visit the Yates County Board of Elections for voting notices and contact information, and the county’s sample ballot directory to check your town’s ballot. Call 315-536-5135.
Before heading to the polls
Use New York’s voter lookup tool to check your registration, election districts, Election Day polling place and mail-ballot status. Early voting locations can differ from Election Day polling places.
Voters have until Monday, Nov. 2, to apply in person for an absentee or early-mail ballot. Completed mail ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by election officials by Nov. 10. Voters may instead deliver a completed ballot to their county Board of Elections or a polling place in their county by 9 p.m. on Election Day, or to an early voting site during voting hours.
Anyone who requested a mail ballot but decides to vote in person should ask election workers about voting by affidavit ballot. The state attorney general’s voting information explains ballot returns, tracking and assistance.
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